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| Last Updated: Jul 5, 2008 - 8:12:15 PM |
Iron Wok Jan! Volume 26
By Andy Doan
May 12, 2008 - 10:00:54 PM
DrMaster Publications Inc.
Writer(s): Shinji Saijyo
Penciller(s): Shinji Saijyo
Inker(s): Shinji Saijyo
Letterer(s): Shinji Saijyo
Cover Artist(s): Shinji Saijyo
ISBN: 978-1-59796-049-6
US $9.95 CAN $11.99, 101 pages
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| Iron Wok Jan! Volume 26 |
I'll open this review with a disclaimer. This is the first piece of actual
Manga
that I have ever read. I don't believe that prior knowledge of a
creator/genre or culture should be required to form a critical opinion
of a piece of art. I do realize that I lack the frame of reference to
be able to compare this work with others in the category. I'll attempt
to review this as I would any other graphic novel.
The pacing of the narrative
is painfully slow. The main reason for this is because of the way
events are constantly retold and repeated throughout the book. I
realize that this volume is a collection of shorter issues. There is a
level of re-cap that I find acceptable. This book pushes way beyond
that level. Early on the slow pace and constant re-cap forced me to
read faster, looking for something new to happen. Near the half way
point of the book I actually dreaded the thought of something new
happening because I knew it would be constantly reiterated and rehashed
at great length. There's actually a point in the book where one page is
repeated panel for panel. I don't know if this was the artist bringing
the concept ofrepetition to the surface or if it was an error at the
publishing house. If it was a mistake I can't blame them for letting it
slip. There were a few times where I had to put the book down for a
couple minutes, I found it very hard to find where I had left off when
I returned.
The story is told through
wide open mouths. Almost all dialog it delivered at high volume.
Reading this book can almost give you a head ache because of how loud
you're forced to read it at. Reading this book was like being yelled at
for 20 minutes straight. The author was even able to capture the din of
the crowd in the background. I've never experienced this level of
volume through written work before.
The
story is almost annoying to get through and there's almost nothing
worthwhile about the experience until right at the end. Suddenly within
the last 10 pages it starts to seem interesting and I found myself
actually interested it finding out what happens next. The whole
experience left me wondering if this was a product of design or if my
mind is playing tricks on me. Ninety percent of the story is slow and
dull so that amoderately interesting ending might just seem better in comparison.
I don't have much experience with
Manga
titles so I don't feel that I can draw a meaningful comparison with the
quality of art versus other books. To me it seemed typical to what you
would expect to see in a Japanese import. Very two dimensional with ansurreal sense of depth and perception. Much like many of the
Anime movies and cartoons I have watched. Through the narrative only requires character to show two facial expressions (yelling and surprise/shock) both are portrayed accurately.
My only main criticism of the art is because of character design. To me the main character (Jan) and his main adversary (
Ransei) look almost identical. This might be because of my lack of experience with
Manga but I'm unable to detect the subtleties of the design.
I'm not sure if this particular book was the best entry point into the vast world of
Manga books. I'll have to admit that I'm no closer to understanding the appeal of these imports. I am confident
that there is something behind this piece that I'm not quite able to
detect and I am looking forward to reading the next volume. Although I
wouldn't be able to directlyrecommend this title to anyone on the basis of it's overall value to the reader. I'm sure there are more discerning fans out there with the ability to enjoy it's charm.
***UPDATE***
MangaBlog Offers a few suggestion for those new to Manga books. A way to ease into the genre...
after reading the review I strongly suspect he picked the wrong book to
start with. So, again, can anyone recommend some starter manga that are
free of the conventions that bug newcomers (i.e. characters that look
the same, endless recaps of what just happened)?
Thanks MangaBlog! ... Link - Opinions Welcome
Related Articles:
Iron Wok Jan! Volume 26
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