Tuesday, July 20, 2004
HOT GIMMICK
The other day I saw vol. 5 of Hot Gimmick by Miki Aihara, a manga series that could be described as a twisted high school soap opera, in Borders. Since I owned the first four volumes, I was going to pick it up, but on second thought I decided to go back and reread the ones I owned, to see if they held up. (Manga is pretty cheap, but still ten bucks a volume adds up to a substantial sum of money over a long series.) So I did, and they did, and vol. 5, which I bought, was also good. Don't get me wrong: this isn't one of the manga which I've been saying is as good as the best Western alternative comics. It's not comparable to Ghost World or Locas. I probably wouldn't even put it in the first rank of translated manga. But it's fun for what it is, if you don't take it too seriously. If you do take it seriously, you might be offended at the relationship between the two main characters. (Though one could make the case that this relationship is psychologically realistic, whether you approve of it or not.)
The other day I saw vol. 5 of Hot Gimmick by Miki Aihara, a manga series that could be described as a twisted high school soap opera, in Borders. Since I owned the first four volumes, I was going to pick it up, but on second thought I decided to go back and reread the ones I owned, to see if they held up. (Manga is pretty cheap, but still ten bucks a volume adds up to a substantial sum of money over a long series.) So I did, and they did, and vol. 5, which I bought, was also good. Don't get me wrong: this isn't one of the manga which I've been saying is as good as the best Western alternative comics. It's not comparable to Ghost World or Locas. I probably wouldn't even put it in the first rank of translated manga. But it's fun for what it is, if you don't take it too seriously. If you do take it seriously, you might be offended at the relationship between the two main characters. (Though one could make the case that this relationship is psychologically realistic, whether you approve of it or not.)
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