Honey and Clover, vol. 9

The story: It's the beginning of the end in this penultimate volume—graduation is just around the corner for Takemoto and Hagu, while Morita and his brother will finally have their peace, or so they think. Even Mayama's life is changing when he moves to Spain to be closer to Rika.

While the gang begins to see the light at the end of the tunnel that has been their college experience, they’re still wistful for days gone by. Can they leave their carefree existence behind and tackle the real world?

Reaction: This is by far the best volume of the whole series, with a tragic accident consuming the dreams of one of the main characters and creating a ripple effect of self-exploration throughout the group. Without revealing too much, it calls into question everything the person affected thought they would do following their departure from art school. I found myself tearing up at times, astounded at the character’s strength and Chica Umino’s sheer brilliance in creating said character's reaction to the very tough situation they're presented with.

There’s raw emotion, too, especially in explaining the reason for Morita’s crazy work schedule and standoffish behavior. So much is revealed about why he is the way he is, and showing all the sacrifices he’s made over the years despite all outward appearances. While no definitive romantic choices are made, the book moves towards resolving the two love triangles that have consumed this series thus far.

Deep thoughts: What I’ve especially appreciated in this series is Umino’s skill in surrounding panels with a character’s inner monologue. Interspersing beautiful imagery and the character’s spoken words amongst black spaces filled with near-poetic prose draws me into this world that is so downright beautiful, even in its jarring tragedy.

There’s also the clever little details in Umino’s text. In the beginning chapter, Hagu expresses interest in someday carving a statue out of marble. In a later chapter, Umino loops back to this scene, noting the look of her face—“white as marble.” It’s a detail easily overlooked, but speaks to the poignancy with which Umino has created her characters and the world of Honey and Clover.

Artwork: There’s a certain artistic balance between innocence and its loss in this volume. From playful scenes during Morita’s childhood to Mayama’s sheer joy at being invited to join Rika in Spain, there’s an optimistic lightness afoot. But, this is balanced and tempered by the darkness and conflict approached in the volume’s second half. There’s blood, tears and dark emotions illustrated, providing an intimate look at the pain and turmoil bubbling up. In visually telling this story, Umino builds the main conflict up to a boil slowly, but surely. At volume’s end, it was all I could do but sigh at the perfectly simple last panel.

The verdict: Highly recommended. There’s just so much raw emotion here, like clay pots waiting to be fired. It pours out of the characters in a way that never feels forced and in words that never become stilted. It’s just real. While what happens next will no doubt be sad, there’s a sense of closure at hand. All I know is that despite my connection to these characters, I'm looking forward to seeing them move on. Honey and Clover is available in the U.S. from Viz.

Manga Bookshelf Review: Honey and Clover, vol. 8

I've got a new guest review up at Manga Bookshelf, a great manga blog by Melinda Beasi. This time around, I take a look at Honey and Clover, vol. 8. Here's a peek at what I thought:

Love triangles abound in this slapstick-happy manga that mixes comedy with a wistful thoughtfulness that can only be indulged in while attending college. ... This is another well done volume, with an overarching theme of how we try to help one another through pain of one kind or another – whether it’s the pain of the hiccups, pain from love or the pain of living, each of the characters in this volume are trying to help one another in some way.

To read the rest of the review, click here. Honey and Clover is available in the U.S. from Viz.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Manga at the Movies: Honey and Clover

Since I watched the Honey and Clover film via Netflix, I thought I'd review it. Of course, I'm a big fan of the manga, so I was wondering just how much I'd like the film. Considering the many live-action and animated films based on manga properties, this might serve as a reoccurring feature.

The story: Takemoto is a student at an arts college in Tokyo. One day while hanging out at Hanamoto-sensei's house, he meets Hagu, a shy new student studying painting, and falls in love at first sight. As Takemoto tries to win over Hagu, they form a group of friends with Morita, an immensely talented scultptor and "super senior" who also has a thing for Hagu; Mayama, a soon-to-graduate design student with an overwhelming—creeping on stalker—crush on his intern supervisor; and Yamada, a ceramics major with an equally intense crush on Mayama.

As they go through their year together at school, they struggle with finding artistic inspiration, dealing with unrequited love and exploring the unknown territory of the adult world. When Takemoto's loses out to Morita for Hagu's attention, he sets out on an epic bike ride to somehow put his life in order. Meanwhile, Hagu has her own internal struggle—as one professor pushes her to knowingly create award-winning art, she finds herself sadly uninspired. There's also the almost-too-painful-to-watch love triangle between Yamada, Mayama and Mayama's boss, Rika.

From page to screen: I loved watching this manga come to life in a live-action film. While there's quite a bit less of the slapstick humor, I was happy to see a crystallization of several key, emotional moments. For instance, I loved the opening scene where Takemoto sees Hagu for the first time—just like the manga, there's a windswept look to the scene, while Hagu is surrounded by floating sakura blossoms. I also liked how they illustrated Hagu's and Morita's creative process; at one point, they unknowingly inspire each other and create some fantastic art in the process.

But, there are differences, too, mostly surrounding Morita. While many would be upset at the difference, it would be very difficult to recreate the Morita of the manga without the character looking entirely ridiculous and impossibly unbelievable. One of the biggest differences that I really enjoyed was the imaginary interrogation scenes in Mayama's room—since he's pretty much Rika's stalker, what with collecting her trash and other impersonal items, he dreams of two police officers questioning him for his Rika-centric habits. But, I liked this, too, as it provided a humorous angle to what would be a dramatic moment in any other film.

As a side note, I also loved that Morita was wearing a South Dakota State University T-shirt in one scene—that's a university that is sometimes confused with my alma mater and current employer.

Characterization: The main cast of characters was right on and some were better than my expectations, especially Hagu. One of my more recent criticisms (and one that other reviewers have noted) is the all-too-childlike appearance of Hagu. Thankfully, while the actress that plays her in the film is young looking, she's certainly not a child. Takemoto's appropriately earnest and hard working, while Morita is a handsome and inexplicably talented artist. While we don't see Yamada go Iron Lady here, she does give Mayama a literal run for his money in one emotionally charged scene.

As far as the side characters went, I absolutely adored the Fujiwara brothers; they appear and act exactly as they did in the book and play up the campy twin brother thing to hilarious effect. Professor Hanamoto is also appropriately thoughtful and stoic, with his constant cigarette as a prop in nearly every scene.

The verdict: I liked Honey and Clover and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the books, or those who like slice of life, coming-of-age films. It's a funny and heart-warming foreign film that reminds us of all of the inherent difficulties we all encounter in growing up and becoming adults. Honey and Clover is available in the U.S. from Viz Pictures.

Interested in seeing Honey and Clover for yourself? Then check out the trailer below.

There it is, Plain as Daylight Review: Honey and Clover, vol. 7

Read my newest review at There it is, Plain as Daylight, a blog by fellow manga lover Melinda Beasi. This time around I review Honey and Clover, vol. 7. Here's a small excerpt:

Five unforgettable characters learn about life and love in this coming-of-age tale set in a small arts college. Love triangles abound as they try to figure out what they want from life, whether living as artists is enough and wondering where their next meat-filled meal will come from. But, Hagu, Mayama, Yamada, Takemoto and Morita learn to lean on each other in unexpected ways as they make their way towards full-blown adulthood. ... Honestly, I love Honey and Clover. The characters, the situations they’re thrown in, their (at times) bleak experience in life and love—it all comes together in a perfect storm of the “quarter-life crisis.”

It's no secret that I love Honey and Clover, but read my review to see why you should love it, too! Honey and Clover is available in the U.S. from Viz.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

MangaCast Review: Honey and Clover, vol. 4

Head over to MangaCast to read my review of Honey and Clover, vol. 4. I love this underappreciated josei series and will review the series in its entirety for i ♥ manga sometime in the near future. For those unfamiliar with MangaCast, it's a website about all things manga, and features news, reviews and rankings from Japan and the U.S.

Here's an excerpt from my review:

With Morita in the U.S., the gang find themselves wondering just what he’s up to out there (with some hilariously illustrated examples between each chapter). Summer clips along, with Hagu possessed by and absorbed in her work, Takemoto wondering if he wants Morita to ever come back and the same old romantic entanglements between Ayu and Mayama...Honey and Clover is a goofy, yet touching, story examining the romantic entanglements between a group of friends at a local small arts college. It’s about living, loving and growing up when you’re not even sure what "growing up" means.

If you haven't read Honey and Clover just yet, I hope my review will encourage you to get started on it soon! Honey and Clover is available in the U.S. from Viz.