Ohikkoshi
by Hiroaki Samura
A romance comedy by the writer of Blade of the Immortal with cover art based on a Thin Lizzy album cover…translated into English? Yes, yes, yes (the album “Fighting”) and an enthusiastic yes! After much anticipation by Hiroaki Samura fans, Ohikkoshi is now available in the US.
Don’t let the “romance comedy” distinction throw you. There is nothing sappy or sticky here... no fairy princesses with fuzzy side-kicks or poofy-haired heroes with 20-inch waistlines. This collection of stories is funny, frentic, and surprisingly moving.
“Ohikkoshi” is the story of a group of college friends, bumbling and stumbling through life. The most simple of decisions are made with the help of heaping amounts of alcohol, in an effort to avoid the real issues of finding love and starting adult life. The multi-branched story is honest and touching, while at the same time very entertaining.
“Luncheon of Tears Diary (Vagabond Shoujo Manga-ka” is the fantastic tale of a manga-ka (comic artist), Natsumi, who takes poor advice from her perverted editor, and ends up ruining her serial comic. Depressed and frustrated she quits the comic world and goes on a 14-year life adventure with so many unfortunates twists, losing her manga series is only a
drop in the ink-well. From gambling with gangsters to fetishist boyfriends, Natumi’s luck always runs out at the most inopportune moments, leading her deeper into more dangerous and harrowing situations. Where the travel-worn and experienced manga-ka finds herself in the end wraps up this treacherous tale nicely.
The final short tale, “Bloodbath at Midorigaike (Kyoto Super Barhopping Journal)” is a funny little ditty about a visiting a supposedly haunted lake in Kyoto. Bonus pages include a afterward actually worth reading, and bonus drawings. Translator notes (with page and frame number references) give explanations to the dozens of pop culture references most non-native Japanese speakers wouldn’t catch or understand. How translator Kumar Sivasubramanian is able to assemble these tidbits and trivia is beyond me, but the non-Japanese reader can come very close to enjoying the same experience as the readers of the original Japanese.
Hiroaki Samura’s drawing style is on of the most attractive things about this Ohikkoshi. Unlike the very clean and sharp (and beautiful) titles we have seen recently (i.e. Reiko, The Zombie Shop), Samura’s style seems rough, yet calculated. It doesn’t feel rushed – quite the contrary –some of the pen strokes shading clearly took patience and time to complete. As a result his style exudes a certain warmth and personality which is very appropriate for how close we get to the characters we meet. He creates an intimacy that fits perfectly with the storyline.
As a reader, it’s easy to appreciate Dark Horse’s reverence for Samura's writing, and there is a real sense that they are attempting to create a complete and definitive document of his original work in English. Ohikkoshi is smart, smarmy and very hard to put down.
Don’t let the “romance comedy” distinction throw you. There is nothing sappy or sticky here... no fairy princesses with fuzzy side-kicks or poofy-haired heroes with 20-inch waistlines. This collection of stories is funny, frentic, and surprisingly moving.“Ohikkoshi” is the story of a group of college friends, bumbling and stumbling through life. The most simple of decisions are made with the help of heaping amounts of alcohol, in an effort to avoid the real issues of finding love and starting adult life. The multi-branched story is honest and touching, while at the same time very entertaining.
“Luncheon of Tears Diary (Vagabond Shoujo Manga-ka” is the fantastic tale of a manga-ka (comic artist), Natsumi, who takes poor advice from her perverted editor, and ends up ruining her serial comic. Depressed and frustrated she quits the comic world and goes on a 14-year life adventure with so many unfortunates twists, losing her manga series is only a
drop in the ink-well. From gambling with gangsters to fetishist boyfriends, Natumi’s luck always runs out at the most inopportune moments, leading her deeper into more dangerous and harrowing situations. Where the travel-worn and experienced manga-ka finds herself in the end wraps up this treacherous tale nicely.The final short tale, “Bloodbath at Midorigaike (Kyoto Super Barhopping Journal)” is a funny little ditty about a visiting a supposedly haunted lake in Kyoto. Bonus pages include a afterward actually worth reading, and bonus drawings. Translator notes (with page and frame number references) give explanations to the dozens of pop culture references most non-native Japanese speakers wouldn’t catch or understand. How translator Kumar Sivasubramanian is able to assemble these tidbits and trivia is beyond me, but the non-Japanese reader can come very close to enjoying the same experience as the readers of the original Japanese.
Hiroaki Samura’s drawing style is on of the most attractive things about this Ohikkoshi. Unlike the very clean and sharp (and beautiful) titles we have seen recently (i.e. Reiko, The Zombie Shop), Samura’s style seems rough, yet calculated. It doesn’t feel rushed – quite the contrary –some of the pen strokes shading clearly took patience and time to complete. As a result his style exudes a certain warmth and personality which is very appropriate for how close we get to the characters we meet. He creates an intimacy that fits perfectly with the storyline.
As a reader, it’s easy to appreciate Dark Horse’s reverence for Samura's writing, and there is a real sense that they are attempting to create a complete and definitive document of his original work in English. Ohikkoshi is smart, smarmy and very hard to put down.
posted by John T at 3:45 PM
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