There it is, Plain as Daylight

Today I review volume sixteen of Nodame Cantabile for Manga Recon’s Manga Minis column. It is, you’ll notice, a very positive review. I must confess that I have a deep and abiding love for this series and I would be quite surprised if it ever let me down in any significant way. Even my early misgivings about lecherous conductor Stresemann and stereotypically presented Masumi have long been quelled. I could write many paragraphs describing the various charms of each character (just in this volume alone), my general adoration of Nodame, and my long-standing crush on Chiaki–and perhaps someday I will. Today you are spared this long-winded treatise.

Admittedly, much of my love for this series has to do with my own experience as a music (performance) major in college and how nostalgic I become whenever I sit down to read it. I said recently that I thought I was most like Mine–determined to rebel against my strict classical surroundings, but swept up with love for the music in spite of myself. Now that I’m entering a period of my life where I’ve begun singing classically again, I suppose the nostalgia is even closer to my heart.

Whatever the reason, Nodame Cantabile touches me in a very personal way, with its humor, its drama, its cast of wonderfully idiosyncratic characters, and its unusually insightful look into the lives of young performers as they struggle to find balance between insecurity, ambition, and simple love of their art. Though this kind of struggle is not limited to music students (and, in fact, probably describes any person attempting to make a career out of their true vocation), the raw vulnerability required of performers simply to do their work provides the ideal vehicle for expressing these feelings on paper. It is this, I believe, that is Nodame Cantabile’s great success. Read my review here.

Monkey High, Volume 7
By Shouko Akira
Published by Viz Media

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After her politician father is arrested for corruption, Haruna Aizawa transfers from her elite private school to a run-of-the-mill high school though, from her perspective, there is no great difference between them. She sees high school as being like living on Monkey Mountain–watching a gang of monkeys fighting each other over and over again, establishing and re-establishing their hierarchy. Her theory is quickly confirmed by the first student she meets at her new school–a grinning imp of a boy named Masaru Yamashita (“Macharu” to his friends)–who strongly reminds her of a baby monkey. The rest of the students are the usual crowd, including the class “prince,” Atsu, and a gang of unfriendly girls, and Haruna keeps herself at a distance as much as she possibly can.

Trouble is, there is one student she can’t seem to distance herself from no matter how she tries, and that is Macharu. When she’s around him, her heart pounds and her skin goes tingly, leaving her utterly confused. Fortunately, Macharu feels the same way and as the first volume winds down, the two begin to explore a relationship together, despite their strong personality differences and Haruna’s initial embarrassment over having fallen for a short, goofy guy like him. As the series continues, their relationship grows and Haruna even goes so far as to introduce Macharu to her estranged father (“…because I want to be with him for a long time.”), though her father only ends up hurting her in the attempt.

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Nora: The Last Chronicle of Devildom, Vol. 7
By Kazunari Kakei
Published by Viz Media

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Read my review of volume six here.

As the dramatic battle that began in volume six continues, power-crazy villain Fall has the Dark Liege cornered, thanks to the revelation of a new and unexpected power. Meanwhile, Nora and Kazuma face their own foes along with other members of the Dark Liege’s army. Still reeling from the news of Nora’s intended fate as the current Cerberus (who is expected to one day pour all of his power into Kazuma–the next Dark Liege–sacrificing his own life in the process) they both fight fiercely and with more feeling than ever before, determined to see this battle through and find a way to bring balance to the demon and human worlds in their own way–one which does not conform to the tragic customs of the past.

Although several of its fight sequences come close to being too long, for the most part this volume manages to keep up the considerable tension and dramatic momentum set into motion in volume six which is, surprisingly, one of the series’ new strengths. Though it offers nothing significantly different from most standard shonen fare, Nora has finally found its groove, particularly in terms of characterization which has advanced substantially over the last two volumes. Nora, especially, has gained new depth since discovering the grim truth about his fate, learning to truly value not only his life but the lives of those who care for him. Though his refusal to let the current Dark Liege calmly accept her own defeat is pure shonen formula, his delivery (“Nobody could ever replace a pain in the ass like you!”) is so charmingly in-character, such judgements are easily dismissed.

Another pleasant bit of characterization that has begun to take shape over the last two volumes is the changing relationship between Nora and Kazuma. Its development has been slow and painful (if often humorous), evolving finally into an uneasy camaraderie that feels especially nuanced and fragile for this kind of story. As in any relationship with a significant power imbalance (Kazuma, after all, has the power to allow or forbid Nora’s use of his own magical abilities with no more than a word, effectively holding Nora’s life in his hands) mutual trust is incredibly difficult to achieve, but in response to the new revelations regarding their shared fate, the two have forged a bond between them, fashioned out of an unlikely combination of fury, indignation, and hope.

Though this series has a ways to go before it can hope to stand up to the best titles of its genre, Nora: The Last Chronicle of Devildom has finally landed on its feet, becoming a solid choice for fans of shonen manga.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Ichiroh!, Vol. 1
By Mikage
Published by Yen Press

Ichiroh!, Vol. 1

Review by Megan M.

Nanako is a hardworking, penny pinching high school graduate who, along with her friends–Shino, a privileged rich girl, and Akane, a dim otaku–is studying for her college entrance exams. Unfortunately, though Shino passes, both Nanako and Akane fail and must now attend prep school. To save money, Nanako gets them a room at the cheapest boarding house she can find, which turns out to be a shrine, and their rent is discounted on the condition that they dress as miko (shrine maidens) and do chores.

Shino and Akane are both in love with Nanako. Akane’s love is a combination of that of a puppy and an adoring kid. Shino’s is concerningly stalkery and she attends college as little as possible, spending most of her time following Nanako around. Nanako’s brother is also obsessed with her, and he quits his job in order to stalk her. He and Shino declare themselves to be rivals in love.

The cast is almost exclusively female and centered around a trio of friends who want to go to college together, so it seems to clearly be my kind of series, but it’s presented as a form of fanservice that doesn’t appeal to me and it’s far too slapstick for my tastes. The series is told in mostly standalone four-koma style, which has worked for me in other manga but only drives home the lack of any real character or plot depth here. In small doses (as I’m sure it was originally released) the lighthearted, slapstick approach might work better, but in a concentrated dose, the result is something that, for me, isn’t overly funny or engaging.

There are various elements that I really liked-Nanako’s drive combined with her passive acceptance of the insanity around her, Akane’s attempts to turn everything around her into a manga plot, an otaku classmate’s attempts to make friends, a shameless teacher at the prep school, and the landlady and her granddaughter in particular-but the overall package didn’t do much for me, unfortunately.