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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
It was not what I expected it to be. I was thinking another thing while I was reading this manga. The main problem I had with this manga was that I didn't like the main character of the story. I didn't like her character and I felt like she was annoying most of the time. The good point for this manga was that I really liked the drawing style. The author is good at drawing facial expression.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this ARC in return for a honest review.
The beginning of this took a minute to pick up, I was expecting Minare [our MC] to be in the industry already and she isn't - however the story line picked up. I'm not entirely sure I like all of the characters, a few of them seem shady to me but that's real life at times. I don't like that the producer [Mato] recorded her for the radio without telling her and I don't know what Tachibana is hoping to get out of this, but I think she's a bad egg like her brother. I don't mind the swearing and I appreciate that there is no killing in this!
I'm not sure where some of the plots will lead both Minare and the other characters surrounding her, and although this wasn't a favourite of mine I do think that I will pick up the next volume when it is released.
Also - her supposed friend and "business partner" needs to understand that no means no.... It bugged me that she set a four-year limit when she obviously didn't want to be with him. Take the time and let your heart heal - if you didn't like him before you likely won't like him later either... And personally - I didn't like that they outted someone for being gay like they did - though said man shouldn't have been so touchy either - there are definitely boundaries that weren't being followed.
The beginning of this took a minute to pick up, I was expecting Minare [our MC] to be in the industry already and she isn't - however the story line picked up. I'm not entirely sure I like all of the characters, a few of them seem shady to me but that's real life at times. I don't like that the producer [Mato] recorded her for the radio without telling her and I don't know what Tachibana is hoping to get out of this, but I think she's a bad egg like her brother. I don't mind the swearing and I appreciate that there is no killing in this!
I'm not sure where some of the plots will lead both Minare and the other characters surrounding her, and although this wasn't a favourite of mine I do think that I will pick up the next volume when it is released.
Also - her supposed friend and "business partner" needs to understand that no means no.... It bugged me that she set a four-year limit when she obviously didn't want to be with him. Take the time and let your heart heal - if you didn't like him before you likely won't like him later either... And personally - I didn't like that they outted someone for being gay like they did - though said man shouldn't have been so touchy either - there are definitely boundaries that weren't being followed.
This was very weird, and not necessarily in a good way. The storytelling was disjointed and I could barely follow it, the references to pop culture flew over my head (understandably, considering I’m not from Japan and no amount of footnotes will change that) , and honestly I just got bored. The art wasn’t bad, which is why I didn’t give it a 1 star, but nothing about the story really pulled me in and made me care. The main character whose name I never learned had the potential to be funny but just ended up being annoying in my opinion, and I wanted to stop reading a third of the way through. It’s clear that this manga wasn’t for me, and I don’t like to give low ratings but I’m afraid even reading to the end didn’t redeem how mind numbingly boring this was to someone who likes a lot of plot to my manga.
I Received this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Kodansha Comics, via Netgalley.
3/5
Trigger Warning: a character is outed
Hiroaki Samura is an interesting man in the publishing world of manga. He is widely known for his unique traditional artwork that has no digital touch on them and his most famous series he ever wrote, Blade of the Immortal. I got personally obsessed with the man the moment I tried to read the first chapter of Blade of the Immortal and I had not regretted it. He has more notorious works that you perhaps haven't heard from like Die Wergelder, Bradherley's Coach, The Loitering Snow, Ohikkoshi and Hiroaki Samura's Emerald and Other Stories all of which are different takes with a personal touch of Hiroaki's realistic pencil work and captivating narration. But then comes a time when a creator makes something you are simply not sure what it's about. Exactly like the creator himself who confesses about it.
Wave, Listen to me! is centered around a young waitress who one night gets so drunk she share her most inner views to a stranger who is a radio broadcaster producer after she got dumped recently by her ex-boyfriend. He sees opportunity and takes this fiery confession of hers and surprise surprise, everyone and their mother, hears Minare and now she is a big hit. Minare now widely acclaimed is showered with praise and perhaps a change in a career, dealing with past co workers and diving into this new territory she has no idea what will happen once she's on air. Honestly, it sounds like a pretty good premise for a comedic romantic Josei series but it's labeled as a Seinen. I respect Hiroaki and adore whatever he is doing but with this one I am not entirely sure what was happening.
The premise on its own is intriguing sure but the jokes are hit or miss for sure but the artwork are mesmerizing as always and keeps you glue to the very last page of the volume but how can you take this plot so seriously? Minare is a fine lead but this story feels more like a novella then a series but who can tell. It is only the beginning so why not give it a try and pick up the first volume. You won't be disappointed :)
3/5
Trigger Warning: a character is outed
Hiroaki Samura is an interesting man in the publishing world of manga. He is widely known for his unique traditional artwork that has no digital touch on them and his most famous series he ever wrote, Blade of the Immortal. I got personally obsessed with the man the moment I tried to read the first chapter of Blade of the Immortal and I had not regretted it. He has more notorious works that you perhaps haven't heard from like Die Wergelder, Bradherley's Coach, The Loitering Snow, Ohikkoshi and Hiroaki Samura's Emerald and Other Stories all of which are different takes with a personal touch of Hiroaki's realistic pencil work and captivating narration. But then comes a time when a creator makes something you are simply not sure what it's about. Exactly like the creator himself who confesses about it.
Wave, Listen to me! is centered around a young waitress who one night gets so drunk she share her most inner views to a stranger who is a radio broadcaster producer after she got dumped recently by her ex-boyfriend. He sees opportunity and takes this fiery confession of hers and surprise surprise, everyone and their mother, hears Minare and now she is a big hit. Minare now widely acclaimed is showered with praise and perhaps a change in a career, dealing with past co workers and diving into this new territory she has no idea what will happen once she's on air. Honestly, it sounds like a pretty good premise for a comedic romantic Josei series but it's labeled as a Seinen. I respect Hiroaki and adore whatever he is doing but with this one I am not entirely sure what was happening.
The premise on its own is intriguing sure but the jokes are hit or miss for sure but the artwork are mesmerizing as always and keeps you glue to the very last page of the volume but how can you take this plot so seriously? Minare is a fine lead but this story feels more like a novella then a series but who can tell. It is only the beginning so why not give it a try and pick up the first volume. You won't be disappointed :)
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.
3.5 stars
Warnings: a character is outed
I'll start with the funny story about me picking up this manga and reading it - I was interested
because, hey, there is an upcoming (at the time I got the book) anime about it, and also, a young woman debuting in radio despite being an amateur sounded like an interesting plot; I read the synopsis on Netgalley, not the one on Goodreads so the author's name didn't really click for me. The art sytle tended more towards a semi-realistic style than general manga, or even in the josei genre, and I was like - huh this is sorta like the Blade of the Immortal in style, and lo and behold, after reading it and updating it on Goodreads I was like, wait, this IS FROM the guy who did Blade of the Immortal, which totally gave me whiplash because the tone of this one is so different from it! Anyway, yeah, so that was a surprise, mostly because of my inability to remember names.
Moving on the review of this manga, it is, as said, a comedy josei about a waitress, Minare, at a curry restaurant, who, when duped and dumped by her long-term boyfriend, rants about it drunkenly to a stranger at a bar, and then hears that same rant being broadcasted all over Hokkaido by a radio station. Turns out the stranger was a radio show producer, and he invites her to host her own show, because he sees innate talent (she is very good at speaking without stammering or stuttering) and a unique voice; Minare isn't sure if she should take up the offer, but since her job at the restaurant is already on the rocks, she wants to try it out. This first volume introduces the characters, the loud boisterous and impulsive Minare, her co-worker Nakahara who subtly not-so-subtly wants to marry her and have them become a curry power couple, the radio producer, and an assistant on the radio station who takes in Minare as a roommate and becomes friends with her, as well as a shady neighbour, the owner of the restaurant, and many more minor characters who might have something bigger to add to Minare's storyline hopefully soon.
The highlight of the story is Minare herself, who is an absolute disaster of a person; she is also pretty imaginative, spinning stories on the fly, and quite opinionated (which sometimes does get her in trouble). She is also pretty random, going on weird tangents, and well, it can get a bit confusing sometimes. I don't know in which direction the storyline is heading at this point, and it is anyway too early to tell, but since the humor and jokes don't land well often, I feel it could have been better served in a 4-koma style, to bring out the random nature of Minare's bursts of dialogue.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Kodansha Comics, via Netgalley.
Warnings: a character is outed
I'll start with the funny story about me picking up this manga and reading it - I was interested
because, hey, there is an upcoming (at the time I got the book) anime about it, and also, a young woman debuting in radio despite being an amateur sounded like an interesting plot; I read the synopsis on Netgalley, not the one on Goodreads so the author's name didn't really click for me. The art sytle tended more towards a semi-realistic style than general manga, or even in the josei genre, and I was like - huh this is sorta like the Blade of the Immortal in style, and lo and behold, after reading it and updating it on Goodreads I was like, wait, this IS FROM the guy who did Blade of the Immortal, which totally gave me whiplash because the tone of this one is so different from it! Anyway, yeah, so that was a surprise, mostly because of my inability to remember names.
Moving on the review of this manga, it is, as said, a comedy josei about a waitress, Minare, at a curry restaurant, who, when duped and dumped by her long-term boyfriend, rants about it drunkenly to a stranger at a bar, and then hears that same rant being broadcasted all over Hokkaido by a radio station. Turns out the stranger was a radio show producer, and he invites her to host her own show, because he sees innate talent (she is very good at speaking without stammering or stuttering) and a unique voice; Minare isn't sure if she should take up the offer, but since her job at the restaurant is already on the rocks, she wants to try it out. This first volume introduces the characters, the loud boisterous and impulsive Minare, her co-worker Nakahara who subtly not-so-subtly wants to marry her and have them become a curry power couple, the radio producer, and an assistant on the radio station who takes in Minare as a roommate and becomes friends with her, as well as a shady neighbour, the owner of the restaurant, and many more minor characters who might have something bigger to add to Minare's storyline hopefully soon.
The highlight of the story is Minare herself, who is an absolute disaster of a person; she is also pretty imaginative, spinning stories on the fly, and quite opinionated (which sometimes does get her in trouble). She is also pretty random, going on weird tangents, and well, it can get a bit confusing sometimes. I don't know in which direction the storyline is heading at this point, and it is anyway too early to tell, but since the humor and jokes don't land well often, I feel it could have been better served in a 4-koma style, to bring out the random nature of Minare's bursts of dialogue.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Kodansha Comics, via Netgalley.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing me an advanced reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this story had an intriguing concept and I enjoyed Minare's passion. Typically, characters who complain too much irritate me, but Minare definitely has reason to be disgruntled. However, I was disappointed that the story mainly revolved around her job at the curry shop. Many of those scenes were tedious and felt removed from what I was expecting from this title. I also didn't enjoy the romance set-up between Minare and her co-worker who refuses to accept that she's spurned his advances. Attempting to create romantic tension between a clearly uninterested woman and a disrespectful man who won't leave her alone has never been endearing. I'm hoping that part of the plot fizzles out. Overall, I was interested in Minare's budding career as a radio star. I also enjoyed the artwork and probably will continue reading this series in the future.
I thought this story had an intriguing concept and I enjoyed Minare's passion. Typically, characters who complain too much irritate me, but Minare definitely has reason to be disgruntled. However, I was disappointed that the story mainly revolved around her job at the curry shop. Many of those scenes were tedious and felt removed from what I was expecting from this title. I also didn't enjoy the romance set-up between Minare and her co-worker who refuses to accept that she's spurned his advances. Attempting to create romantic tension between a clearly uninterested woman and a disrespectful man who won't leave her alone has never been endearing. I'm hoping that part of the plot fizzles out. Overall, I was interested in Minare's budding career as a radio star. I also enjoyed the artwork and probably will continue reading this series in the future.
@ DNF at page 70.
I just couldn`t finish the 1th volume. I didn`t like the main characters and don`t get me started on the others, i loathed them. This just wasn`t for me, honestly.
I just couldn`t finish the 1th volume. I didn`t like the main characters and don`t get me started on the others, i loathed them. This just wasn`t for me, honestly.