Lost in Lualand

I finished my three-part (or two and one part in three…?) review of Shimura thinking, "Wow, I've purged the demon! I can read other manga!" but it's really hard?? In the time that I'm writing this, I've flipped back to Sweet Blue Flowers to evaluate the Viz translation and, you know, I've done little partial rereads to get a good look at her panels and art evolution...

I have been able to tear myself away from Shimura's works to reread Yotsuba&!, a series with absolutely superb comic art decisions (visual complexity vs. simplification, the rhythm and arrangement of panels and images, constructing just enough of a narrative to give us the sense that time is passing without shoehorning a narrative that makes no sense for the story it wants to tell). I mean, we all know Yotsuba&!'s strengths as a comic. I feel like I don't have any urge to review it… I just like it and want to reread it all the time… Also reread/caught up with Skip and Loafer, which is somehow totally faithful to the emotion of being fifteen/sixteen. Also finished the fantastic Ikoku Nikki, which will be getting its own little write up and review later.

I still am reading other books, but reading and writing about manga's keeping the novel engine humming. This post covers three series: Yuria-sensei's Red String of Fate by Kiwa Irie and Run Away with Me, Girl and My Sister's Friend, both by Battan.