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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
Very unique voice, well put together in terms of the art and writing matching one another quite well - however i was bored by most if not all of it
I received this book from Net Galley and Kodansha Comics in exchange for an honest review.
After finishing this manga, I'm conflicted on how much I enjoyed it. So let's start off with the good. The artwork is great, as is expected of Hiroaki Samura. I really liked the main character here, as Minare Koda has a lot of levels to her. She's kind yet fierce. She's dedicated, but can quickly lash out. She just feels like a very real character, instead of just being a stereotype. I also found the story about how she has the chance to be a radio talk show host after a night of drunk rambling to a stranger pretty intriguing. It's an interesting premise.
Now for some of the problems with the series. The other characters don't feel as interesting as Minare. Many of them fall in to the trap of being their to help push stories along, but not enough back story. To be fair it's only volume 1, but I felt like as a reader, I was left in the dark too much about who they really are.
I also felt like too much, yet not enough, happened at the same time within this first volume. We have this huge surge to get Minare a talk show right as she's losing her current job, then an accident happens and she's back at the old job temporarily. As I was enjoying watching Minare get excited, scared, and anxious for her talk show, then it was just right back to where she was, with another character being introduced. This is just my thoughts, but it felt like maybe Samura got stuck on where to go next, and fell back to something they were more comfortable with to get some content out while brainstorming.
I keep jumping between I liked this volume to being meh on it, so my recommendation is if you're looking for a manga that is a bit more tuned in to reality and less fantasy or gags, this is one you may enjoy. I'll check out volume 2, as I feel its only fair as I enjoyed it enough, and I'd like to see if it can resolve the conflict within myself.
Rating this a 3, but its probably closer to 3.5.
After finishing this manga, I'm conflicted on how much I enjoyed it. So let's start off with the good. The artwork is great, as is expected of Hiroaki Samura. I really liked the main character here, as Minare Koda has a lot of levels to her. She's kind yet fierce. She's dedicated, but can quickly lash out. She just feels like a very real character, instead of just being a stereotype. I also found the story about how she has the chance to be a radio talk show host after a night of drunk rambling to a stranger pretty intriguing. It's an interesting premise.
Now for some of the problems with the series. The other characters don't feel as interesting as Minare. Many of them fall in to the trap of being their to help push stories along, but not enough back story. To be fair it's only volume 1, but I felt like as a reader, I was left in the dark too much about who they really are.
I also felt like too much, yet not enough, happened at the same time within this first volume. We have this huge surge to get Minare a talk show right as she's losing her current job, then an accident happens and she's back at the old job temporarily. As I was enjoying watching Minare get excited, scared, and anxious for her talk show, then it was just right back to where she was, with another character being introduced. This is just my thoughts, but it felt like maybe Samura got stuck on where to go next, and fell back to something they were more comfortable with to get some content out while brainstorming.
I keep jumping between I liked this volume to being meh on it, so my recommendation is if you're looking for a manga that is a bit more tuned in to reality and less fantasy or gags, this is one you may enjoy. I'll check out volume 2, as I feel its only fair as I enjoyed it enough, and I'd like to see if it can resolve the conflict within myself.
Rating this a 3, but its probably closer to 3.5.
Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.
What it's about:
Wave, Listen To Me! Volume 1 by Hiroaki Samura is about Minare, a woman who vents in a bar to a complete stranger whilst she is drunk. As she is drunk she doesn't think of any potential consequences so imagine her surprise when she hears her voice broadcasting through a speaker.
Pros:
The concept. It was the concept that made me ask for this manga after all.
The characters facial expressions were very realistic in comparison to some other manga I have read
Cons:
There is too much grey in it which personally made it too hard for me to read as there wasn't enough visual contrast*
It feels messy to me as there were a lot of times where every sentence was a character yelling
Due to the yelling, it gave an aggressive tone to the character which I understand but wasn't exactly fond of
Rating:
1⭐
Would I read it again:
I don't think I would as I could barely finish it, however, I may in the future to give it another chance as I do like to give books a second chance.
Would I recommend it:
Not really
https://www.dannisbookreviews.com/post/wave-listen-to-me-vol-1-by-hiroaki-samura-arc-review
What it's about:
Wave, Listen To Me! Volume 1 by Hiroaki Samura is about Minare, a woman who vents in a bar to a complete stranger whilst she is drunk. As she is drunk she doesn't think of any potential consequences so imagine her surprise when she hears her voice broadcasting through a speaker.
Pros:
The concept. It was the concept that made me ask for this manga after all.
The characters facial expressions were very realistic in comparison to some other manga I have read
Cons:
There is too much grey in it which personally made it too hard for me to read as there wasn't enough visual contrast*
It feels messy to me as there were a lot of times where every sentence was a character yelling
Due to the yelling, it gave an aggressive tone to the character which I understand but wasn't exactly fond of
Rating:
1⭐
Would I read it again:
I don't think I would as I could barely finish it, however, I may in the future to give it another chance as I do like to give books a second chance.
Would I recommend it:
Not really
https://www.dannisbookreviews.com/post/wave-listen-to-me-vol-1-by-hiroaki-samura-arc-review
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
This was a rough read for me. I’m all for an angry woman but we don’t ever see a transformation of her anger, it’s just what she’s lashing out at the moment and it makes it repetitive to read. She’s such a strong character but it’s frustrating that she complains so much and is so angry while doing little to improve her situation. Her interactions with Nakahara, especially later in the book, are frustrating because she comes across as such a bull-headed, angry character and then someone she has little chemistry with comes in to calm her down in an instant; it didn’t feel true to her character.
Although it will be part of a series, I feel like vol. 1 poorly set up what the rest of the series will be about. First, I thought it was going to be about Minare’s radio opportunity but then the majority of it ended up being about her at the soup shop.
I found it difficult to read the small text in some of the panels. Although, It was nice that footnotes were included about Japanese culture and references for non-Japanese readers.
I appreciated the author’s afterword recognizing some of these points and it gives me a little faith that vol. 2 will address a a few of these concerns. It provided me with the perspective that it was meant to be about love and radio and my hopes for vol. 2 are the expansion of Minare in the radio world and to learn more about Kanetsugu Mato.
This was a rough read for me. I’m all for an angry woman but we don’t ever see a transformation of her anger, it’s just what she’s lashing out at the moment and it makes it repetitive to read. She’s such a strong character but it’s frustrating that she complains so much and is so angry while doing little to improve her situation. Her interactions with Nakahara, especially later in the book, are frustrating because she comes across as such a bull-headed, angry character and then someone she has little chemistry with comes in to calm her down in an instant; it didn’t feel true to her character.
Although it will be part of a series, I feel like vol. 1 poorly set up what the rest of the series will be about. First, I thought it was going to be about Minare’s radio opportunity but then the majority of it ended up being about her at the soup shop.
I found it difficult to read the small text in some of the panels. Although, It was nice that footnotes were included about Japanese culture and references for non-Japanese readers.
I appreciated the author’s afterword recognizing some of these points and it gives me a little faith that vol. 2 will address a a few of these concerns. It provided me with the perspective that it was meant to be about love and radio and my hopes for vol. 2 are the expansion of Minare in the radio world and to learn more about Kanetsugu Mato.
funny
lighthearted
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
I'm not sure where I land on this, I kind of love it (a romance centered around working at a radio station) but it's a bit of a rocky start. I'm not a fan of how she gets started working for the radio station, but overall I think this has potential and I do want to read the next volume.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I think it's important to preface this review by saying this was the first manga I read in probably about 10 years and I firmly believe that influenced my reading experience. With this being said, I don't think I'm the intended audience for this series (because I don't read manga) but I think it's important to note that my review reflect one's experience with this book being their first manga read in a significant amount of time.
I have some thoughts on the main character. The author did a good job of outlining her character and demonstrating her persistent chain of bad luck/bad decisions through the various scenes. I really got a feel for her as a character and the purpose of her misfortune and was able to see how intricate of a role that had on the plot. However, I think the main characters (and many of the other characters) spent too much time focusing on relationships and complaining about their love life. I realize that the main character's initial breakup is the opening scene but seeing some growth where she doesn't completely focus on the lack of relationship would've been nice, but there's definitely room to develop that in the next volumes if it hasn't been done already.
The scene where the main character made a comment about her boss being gay and that being the reason why she got fired made me uncomfortable. I'm not sure the intention behind that choice, whether it be humor or homophobia or an attempt at LGBTGIA+ representation, but it didn't sit well and ultimately felt unnecessary.
As for the plot, this volume was summarized as the main character being recruited to talk on a radio show for a job. However, that never really happened in this volume? I felt like the majority of this volume was set in the curry restaurant she worked in and the author was setting up the main character's radio job for the next volumes which is fine but the summary should reflect that. This was also very romance focused which also did not feel true to the summary.
Ultimately I'm giving this 2 stars. As I said, I'm not an experienced manga reader and only got into the groove of reading this within the last 15 pages or so when a "conspiracy" was being hinted at. I wouldn't dissuade or recommend this to anyone mostly because I'm not the proper reviewer for manga.
I think it's important to preface this review by saying this was the first manga I read in probably about 10 years and I firmly believe that influenced my reading experience. With this being said, I don't think I'm the intended audience for this series (because I don't read manga) but I think it's important to note that my review reflect one's experience with this book being their first manga read in a significant amount of time.
I have some thoughts on the main character. The author did a good job of outlining her character and demonstrating her persistent chain of bad luck/bad decisions through the various scenes. I really got a feel for her as a character and the purpose of her misfortune and was able to see how intricate of a role that had on the plot. However, I think the main characters (and many of the other characters) spent too much time focusing on relationships and complaining about their love life. I realize that the main character's initial breakup is the opening scene but seeing some growth where she doesn't completely focus on the lack of relationship would've been nice, but there's definitely room to develop that in the next volumes if it hasn't been done already.
The scene where the main character made a comment about her boss being gay and that being the reason why she got fired made me uncomfortable. I'm not sure the intention behind that choice, whether it be humor or homophobia or an attempt at LGBTGIA+ representation, but it didn't sit well and ultimately felt unnecessary.
As for the plot, this volume was summarized as the main character being recruited to talk on a radio show for a job. However, that never really happened in this volume? I felt like the majority of this volume was set in the curry restaurant she worked in and the author was setting up the main character's radio job for the next volumes which is fine but the summary should reflect that. This was also very romance focused which also did not feel true to the summary.
Ultimately I'm giving this 2 stars. As I said, I'm not an experienced manga reader and only got into the groove of reading this within the last 15 pages or so when a "conspiracy" was being hinted at. I wouldn't dissuade or recommend this to anyone mostly because I'm not the proper reviewer for manga.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I think it's important to preface this review by saying this was the first manga I read in probably about 10 years and I firmly believe that influenced my reading experience. With this being said, I don't think I'm the intended audience for this series (because I don't read manga) but I think it's important to note that my review reflect one's experience with this book being their first manga read in a significant amount of time.
I have some thoughts on the main character. The author did a good job of outlining her character and demonstrating her persistent chain of bad luck/bad decisions through the various scenes. I really got a feel for her as a character and the purpose of her misfortune and was able to see how intricate of a role that had on the plot. However, I think the main characters (and many of the other characters) spent too much time focusing on relationships and complaining about their love life. I realize that the main character's initial breakup is the opening scene but seeing some growth where she doesn't completely focus on the lack of relationship would've been nice, but there's definitely room to develop that in the next volumes if it hasn't been done already.
The scene where the main character made a comment about her boss being gay and that being the reason why she got fired made me uncomfortable. I'm not sure the intention behind that choice, whether it be humor or homophobia or an attempt at LGBTGIA+ representation, but it didn't sit well and ultimately felt unnecessary.
As for the plot, this volume was summarized as the main character being recruited to talk on a radio show for a job. However, that never really happened in this volume? I felt like the majority of this volume was set in the curry restaurant she worked in and the author was setting up the main character's radio job for the next volumes which is fine but the summary should reflect that. This was also very romance focused which also did not feel true to the summary.
Ultimately I'm giving this 2 stars. As I said, I'm not an experienced manga reader and only got into the groove of reading this within the last 15 pages or so when a "conspiracy" was being hinted at. I wouldn't dissuade or recommend this to anyone mostly because I'm not the proper reviewer for manga.
I think it's important to preface this review by saying this was the first manga I read in probably about 10 years and I firmly believe that influenced my reading experience. With this being said, I don't think I'm the intended audience for this series (because I don't read manga) but I think it's important to note that my review reflect one's experience with this book being their first manga read in a significant amount of time.
I have some thoughts on the main character. The author did a good job of outlining her character and demonstrating her persistent chain of bad luck/bad decisions through the various scenes. I really got a feel for her as a character and the purpose of her misfortune and was able to see how intricate of a role that had on the plot. However, I think the main characters (and many of the other characters) spent too much time focusing on relationships and complaining about their love life. I realize that the main character's initial breakup is the opening scene but seeing some growth where she doesn't completely focus on the lack of relationship would've been nice, but there's definitely room to develop that in the next volumes if it hasn't been done already.
The scene where the main character made a comment about her boss being gay and that being the reason why she got fired made me uncomfortable. I'm not sure the intention behind that choice, whether it be humor or homophobia or an attempt at LGBTGIA+ representation, but it didn't sit well and ultimately felt unnecessary.
As for the plot, this volume was summarized as the main character being recruited to talk on a radio show for a job. However, that never really happened in this volume? I felt like the majority of this volume was set in the curry restaurant she worked in and the author was setting up the main character's radio job for the next volumes which is fine but the summary should reflect that. This was also very romance focused which also did not feel true to the summary.
Ultimately I'm giving this 2 stars. As I said, I'm not an experienced manga reader and only got into the groove of reading this within the last 15 pages or so when a "conspiracy" was being hinted at. I wouldn't dissuade or recommend this to anyone mostly because I'm not the proper reviewer for manga.
This is one of those reads, that I adored in the past, a simple manga that shows the struggles of a single woman ..... I would love to continue this series but I have to pay for the next volume, I read the volume 1 for free .... I might continue maybe later this year
(3.5/5)
An incredibly relatable manga about a woman who's just trying to survive het twenties without going off on everyone in her immediate surroundings. Oh, and her drunken antics lands get a radio show that comes on in the absolute dead of night.
I absolutely cannot wait to pick up Vol. 2 and check out the anime.
An incredibly relatable manga about a woman who's just trying to survive het twenties without going off on everyone in her immediate surroundings. Oh, and her drunken antics lands get a radio show that comes on in the absolute dead of night.
I absolutely cannot wait to pick up Vol. 2 and check out the anime.