Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
A fabulous collection of Hagio's work coupled with a through and intimate interview that makes this book one of the best collections of short stories, graphic or otherwise, I've seen.
The attention to detail that has gone into publishing this book shows that the people who had a hand in putting it together love and appreciate her work as I do.
The attention to detail that has gone into publishing this book shows that the people who had a hand in putting it together love and appreciate her work as I do.
Loved this! beautiful 70s aesthetics and drawing, great writing that really manages to give finality to each story no matter how short, and plenty of that disturbing supernatural element that feels so unique to "girl's comics". I always find that sort of twilight zone feeling very comforting to read despite covering some relatively dark themes - isolation, absent or unloving parents, siblings in conflict, abortion, suicide, child-death . Also really interesting in understanding manga history as a foundational text for shojo manga.
Stunning stories by one of my all-time favorite artists! The included article on the 49ers & interview with Moto Hagio were a pleasant surprise. Highly recommended to any fan of classic manga!
This is a fascinating short story collection showcasing the work of revered mangaka and shojo pioneer Moto Hagio. Some of these stories were 2 stars for me and others were 5 stars, but I will give this book 4 stars for the essay and author interview. It's a must read for anyone interested in the genesis of shojo (girl's comics) in Japan. As for the stories, they range from strangely cute to the bizarre and disturbing. My favorites in order:
1. Iguana Girl
2. Drunken Dream
3.Hanshin: Half-God
4. Angel Mimic
My take away from reading this collection is that Hagio is an interesting and important creator who's works range from feeling like twilight zone episodes to more typical josei/shojo offerings with deep emotional themes.
1. Iguana Girl
2. Drunken Dream
3.Hanshin: Half-God
4. Angel Mimic
My take away from reading this collection is that Hagio is an interesting and important creator who's works range from feeling like twilight zone episodes to more typical josei/shojo offerings with deep emotional themes.
An interesting introduction to a star Manga artist/writer that I wasn't familiar with. Hagio's stories are wonderfully quirky. 'Iguana Girl' was a particular standout in this collection.
Absolutely, utterly stunning. A wonderful collection of classic shojo from one of the masters of the genre, Moro Hagio of the famously talented Year 24 group. Can we have more of Hagio's works in English (and in print) please? I can't wait to get my hands on Heart of Thomas in the fall!
Surreal, wistful short-stories, often with fantasy/sci-fi & romance elements.
This is a really fascinating selection of work by pioneering cartoonist Moto Hagio, from the mid-70s (only a few years after her career began) to the present day. Her work was always aimed at girls, and when she started it was unusual for women to be creating comics.
The stories are refreshingly creative, and often really funny. There are some recurring themes (isolation, lost love, conflicted siblings, absent (for some reason) family members...), although the plots and setting are incredibly diverse. I believe that Hagio is more famous in Japan for her longer serials; based on the shorter stories here, I'm going to look our for them.
There's a long interview with Hagio from The Comics Journal included in this volume. In TCJ I often find these interviews a little too long, but really enjoyed this one in this context. It really added a lot to the enjoyment of the book, and had some fascinating insights into Hagio's work. Read it before, or (as I did) after - but skip it at your peril!
This is a really fascinating selection of work by pioneering cartoonist Moto Hagio, from the mid-70s (only a few years after her career began) to the present day. Her work was always aimed at girls, and when she started it was unusual for women to be creating comics.
The stories are refreshingly creative, and often really funny. There are some recurring themes (isolation, lost love, conflicted siblings, absent (for some reason) family members...), although the plots and setting are incredibly diverse. I believe that Hagio is more famous in Japan for her longer serials; based on the shorter stories here, I'm going to look our for them.
There's a long interview with Hagio from The Comics Journal included in this volume. In TCJ I often find these interviews a little too long, but really enjoyed this one in this context. It really added a lot to the enjoyment of the book, and had some fascinating insights into Hagio's work. Read it before, or (as I did) after - but skip it at your peril!
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Apparently I read this years ago, but I didn’t remember it so I read it again. The art is stunning. The stories vary from lightly melodramatic and stoic to truly tragic. There’s quite a lot of grief and family trauma explored, but there’s no emotional wallowing. Characters are always in motion, trying to live with the sorrows they must carry.
Moto Hagio is one of the godmothers of shojo manga, and this collection of short comics shattered many of my preconceptions about the genre.
The stories in this collection are exquisitely drawn and psychologically complex. They share a tendency toward powerful, almost melodramatic emotion that reminds me of modern YA fiction, but heck, I like that aesthetic. I would have loved Moto Hagio unreservedly when I was a teenager myself. A few of the stories just knock it out of the park in terms of craft and psychological acuteness - "Hanshin Half-God" and "Iguana Girl" are two of the best short comics I've read.
Dear Fantagraphics, please publish more shojo manga from the 70s and 80s!
The stories in this collection are exquisitely drawn and psychologically complex. They share a tendency toward powerful, almost melodramatic emotion that reminds me of modern YA fiction, but heck, I like that aesthetic. I would have loved Moto Hagio unreservedly when I was a teenager myself. A few of the stories just knock it out of the park in terms of craft and psychological acuteness - "Hanshin Half-God" and "Iguana Girl" are two of the best short comics I've read.
Dear Fantagraphics, please publish more shojo manga from the 70s and 80s!