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Oct 13, 2020

Fuuka (Manga) add

This review is spoiler-free, however, I recommend you read the series completely blind. If you hate it, you hate it; if you love it, you love it; but you'll do yourself no benefit trying to understand why others have such strong feelings around it. Figure it out for yourself and come back to compare.

Fuuka is a story with a lot of problems. If someone asked me to go through commentating each chapter, we'd probably end up with another CinemaSins clone. Overused tropes here, bizarre characterisation there, lewd filler throughout, and a plotline with so many random elements thrown in that it's ... no surprise that people find themselves overwhelmed. However, as rough and ridiculous as the core is, there's an unexpected believability and charm brought out by its honesty.

I think it's impossible to talk about this series without mentioning the twist. While I won't spoil it, the before and after might as well be two completely different series. For those of you that read up until that point weekly, keep in mind that this was close to a year in the making. Fuuka sets itself up for future arcs, characters, themes, and solid expectations; before immediately taking the story in the opposite direction. For many readers - especially fans of the mangaka - this was a dividing experience. The first section, while well-written, is fairly stock-standard. It's a light-hearted 'follow your dreams' romance series, with the sort of convenient coincidences that you won't find outside of anime and manga. An average shounen protagonist crosses every chance encounter possible - from celebrities, to online friends, to solutions to obscure problems. Despite this, it's self-aware enough to not constantly push it in the reader's face. Rather, the ridiculous nature of the series is worn on its sleeve, rarely overstaying its welcome. What we're left with is a collection of likeable characters on the road to fulfilling their dreams.

And then the series changes direction entirely.

I've never enjoyed narrative arcs where hopes are dashed for compromises. You see them coming from a mile away; sign-posted from the beginning and rarely given enough time to build a relationship with the reader. Fuuka portrays no indication. It's abrupt, unexpected, and against most narrative rules I've been taught in writing classes. It's no surprise that people hated it. When a story 180s, yelling "where the HELL did that come from?" is something that I'm certainly not innocent of. Some of my favourite story orientations have been destroyed by illogical, last-second attempts at shock factor or pandering. The reason Fuuka isn't one of those instances is that the following narrative was built around the sudden change. The shock was the point; not the excuse. The overarching plot then follows the same notes, but from a different perspective. If the first 40 chapters are about finding hope, the next hundred are about understanding it. We found hope, but what do we do with it? If it's true that life comes at you fast, what are you going to do about it?

I've noticed that a point of contention relates to the series' pacing. It moves abnormally quickly, but that generally only adds to the experience. One of the reasons I was never a fan of Kouji Seo (or drama manga in general) is that, at some point, it gets tedious; tiring. While some people may enjoy dramatic arcs that attempt to split the characters apart, only for them to overcome that challenge; I was never one of them. I always feel that characters do themselves no favours by jumping to conclusions and refusing to communicate. I have little interest in rooting for a protagonist that continues to make the same mistakes, only to forget the lesson they previously learnt in solving them. The pace of Fuuka allows for these situations to resolve in a lifelike way. While there are overarching concerns throughout, the smaller-scale issues work as a stepping stone towards fixing them. It's not all at once, or never at all; it's step by step. This builds a sense of trust that makes the relationships on the romance side feel believable and healthy. Often times, while I may enjoy the end-point, I can't help but think that the effort the characters went through just emphasised why they weren't right for each other. Why love someone that you don't trust?

If I'm to complain about anything, it's the final resolutions. Because there are so many characters and mini-lines throughout, often their brief conclusions lack concrete depth. Shelly's arc, for instance, while complete, misses its chance at pay-off. She makes claims about her independence, her final song, and her challenge to those around her; but that plotline contradicts her other backstory: her guiding inspiration. In effect, one of the two narratives has to give in to the other. This is also a frequent occurrence with side-character romance. In an attempt to provide every character with a resolution, many are forced into unnecessary love stories. Makoto's - avoiding spoilers - is perhaps the worst case. His main character arc is genuinely heartwarming, but it's let down by attaching unnecessary additions.

Despite this, I rarely found myself caring about these issues. I was always swept away by the hopeful themes, the likeable cast, the interconnected narratives, and the unexpected twists along the way. Would I enjoy it as much on the second read, knowing everything? Probably not, but I feel like I'd still be entirely invested in the emotional believability. I enjoyed it as much reading its entirety today, as I did reading it by release up until chapter 50. Fuuka is rough, ridiculous, and rambunctious; but it's those aspects - collected in a poor attempt at alliteration - that add to the lifelike charm of the series. While it's not for everyone, it'll probably be a read that'll stick with me for a long time.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Oct 3, 2020

Masamune-kun no Revenge (Manga) add

I originally wanted to type "what" and be done with this review, but since there's apparently guidelines to follow, I suppose I'll elaborate.

I'm a big fan of romantic comedies. Dish them with an original concept, cute art, and a side of enemies to lovers; I'm sold. Masamune-kun had all of these factors, but after reading the first few chapters, I didn't feel particularly satisfied. The stars were closely aligned, but outside metaphoric language, all that spells is an astronomical disaster. The first sign of warning was the cast. Each is fueled by their own enigmatic and conflicting motivations, with potential for development and overlapping histories. ... However, the author never seems to know what to do with them. In an attempt to create a multifaceted lineup, the author routinely creates miniature twists in the place of character development. This isn't necessarily an issue in itself, but the constant resets between chapters and anticlimatic plotlines leave the cast feeling inconsistently depicted. Although I left with a sigh of disappointment, I begrudgingly continued on. At the very least, I was enjoying the upbeat art design, and I still held partial hope that my favourite tropes would become realised. Unfortunately, these inconsistencies were only a sign of the overarching direction that followed.

It's difficult to explain why the narrative is frustratingly poor while avoiding spoilers, but I'll begin by noting that all of those minor criticisms become larger and more prominent as the series progresses. The author never seems to be able to make up his mind on where the plot and cast will progress. Characters with hidden identities and mysterious motives are introduced one by one; each exchanging references to dark pasts soon to be revealed. But amongst those that aren't immediately sidelined or removed entirely, rarely do these threads add up to anything. The main 'antagonist' has their ploys unraveled by the lead in a two-page gag; the rivals immediately give up; and most commonly, the manga pulls a double twist. Credit to the writer, some of these narrative turns are both unexpected and exciting, but almost all of them are followed by a character denouncing their truth. As soon as a plot point is introduced, it is immediately invalidated. Perhaps most egregiously, the final few arcs retcon development in exchange for longevity.

Towards the conclusion of the manga, there are four points where one might expect the story to stop. The 'defeat' of the rival antagonist, the confession, the twist, and the retcon double twist. The story continues on. When I opened my review with "what" I was referring to the experience of reading past the logical ending. What was the point? Each of the final arcs leads to the exact same conclusion, so the story effectively meanders around for 15-20 chapters. The exception here is in the character twist prior to the conclusion, which for what it's worth, at-least justifies the hesitation. Unfortunately, as per previous examples, it is immediately and groundlessly ignored - this time, off-screen. By the time the final arc arrives, there is little payoff or excitement; just repetition and confusion: a single "what," if you will. For whatever reason, whether it be indecision; magazine influence; popularity; or minor loose-ends, the manga continues on. Even after the narrative has technically concluded, extra chapters are thrown in with last-second gags, side-character 'arcs,' and a minor time-skip where the heroine's personality 180s.

I didn't enjoy Masamune-kun. After initial disappointment, I expected to eat popcorn and blush to a pretty trope bag of mediocrity. Instead, I was left confused as the story plot threads consistently led no-where, weekly retcons muddled an almost entirely linear arc, characters were introduced and immediately sidelined; and the narrative refused to end. The question of why I felt so inclined to write my first MAL review at 5AM was then because I was baffled and disappointed. The writer has genuinely interesting ideas, but a lack of will or ability to follow-through with them. I'm optimistically excited to read their other work, if only in the hope that those ideas shine through more thoroughly.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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