Forum › A Fruitless Betrothal discussion

S
joined Jan 12, 2021

I'm not sure if her behavior is a cute crush, or disturbing stalking.

Glad I wasn't the only one, when she started talking about how she knows all her "quirks", it kinda started creeping me out. At least she kept it to herself.

Someone else said that the ring is probably something she is using to stop others from bothering her, that was also my first thought.

joined Jan 14, 2020

I was just re-reading Understanding Comics, and thought to switch over and apply some of that to some real comics, so looked again at this one. I'm not sure where dialogue falls in his list of panel transitions -- action? moment? -- but there is a fair amount of the aspect-aspect transitions he notes as unique to Japanese (or here, Asian) comics vs. Western ones. But he also talks about the levels of abstraction in art style, and how it's not uncommon to combine simplified/cartoon characters with more realistic art.

And this comic seems an extreme case. Look at the cubicle panel here https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/a_fruitless_betrothal_ch01#7
How much of that is even drawn, vs. traced, or processed photograph, or copied image? The binders on the desks are just color blobs, but that's like a full world map on the wall, perfect perspective on the water cooler and shelves... but very simplified people, with not even consistent faces (like the chibi ones in the next panel).

Interesting combination, anyway.

joined Jul 14, 2021

I was just re-reading Understanding Comics, and thought to switch over and apply some of that to some real comics, so looked again at this one. I'm not sure where dialogue falls in his list of panel transitions -- action? moment? -- but there is a fair amount of the aspect-aspect transitions he notes as unique to Japanese (or here, Asian) comics vs. Western ones. But he also talks about the levels of abstraction in art style, and how it's not uncommon to combine simplified/cartoon characters with more realistic art.

And this comic seems an extreme case. Look at the cubicle panel here https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/a_fruitless_betrothal_ch01#7
How much of that is even drawn, vs. traced, or processed photograph, or copied image? The binders on the desks are just color blobs, but that's like a full world map on the wall, perfect perspective on the water cooler and shelves... but very simplified people, with not even consistent faces (like the chibi ones in the next panel).

Interesting combination, anyway.

Lol, for sure. You definitely see longstrip artists using 3D assets wayyy more than manga artists do.

last edited at Oct 21, 2021 10:38PM

Img_0215
joined Jul 29, 2017

I was just re-reading Understanding Comics, and thought to switch over and apply some of that to some real comics, so looked again at this one. I'm not sure where dialogue falls in his list of panel transitions -- action? moment? -- but there is a fair amount of the aspect-aspect transitions he notes as unique to Japanese (or here, Asian) comics vs. Western ones.

Speech is an action. As is an unspoken reaction.

On that page:

Panel 1 to panel 2: Subject-to-subject (Crush-sensei to MC).

Panel 2 to panel 3: Subject-to-subject (Crush-sensei alone to both together).

Panel 3 to panel 4: Action-to-action (Both standing together to both standing by their respective desks). The reader has to mentally fill in the action that gets them from standing together to each standing by a desk.

Panel 4 to panel 5 & panel 5 to panel 6: both action-to-action. Their exchanges of dialogue and thoughts are actions; the characters we see in the panels and the scene’s location remain the same throughout.

Panel 6 to panel 7: Subject-to-subject (Both characters to Crush-sensei alone.)

Long strips mess with McCloud’s panel-transition schema a bit because without the traditional page grid the definition of “panel” can become ambiguous—that final caption box functions almost as a separate text-only thought-balloon “panel.”

The shot of the two by their desks is not an example of McCloud’s concept of “masking,” because in that panel the characters are drawn with about the same level of naturalism as their surroundings. McCloud doesn’t address the chibi style, but he does acknowledge that the level of realistic detail can fluctuate over the course of a comic.

The key to aspect-to-aspect transitions is that no time passes (or almost none) and the panels do not need to occur in any particular sequence for the passage to retain its coherence. They’re usually used at the beginning of a story to establish setting in time and place, hence traditional aspect-to-aspect opening sequences like:

Shot of sky with utility wires > close-up of cicada on utility pole > shot of shining sun > shot of building exterior with door. Then we go inside the door and the story proper begins.

Western comics have been using aspect-to-aspect (and moment-to-moment) transitions much more frequently in recent years as story formats (graphic novels and extended story arcs) have gotten longer, giving creators more space to tell stories. Both of those types of transitions either ignore time or stretch it out, which used to be a luxury comics creators, who were under pressure to pack in as much narrative as possible into a limited number of pages, simply were unable to afford. The techniques themselves are definitely the influence of Asian comics; the opportunity to use those techniques is a function of creators having more space to work with.

last edited at Oct 21, 2021 11:08PM

joined Jan 14, 2020

Lol, for sure. You definitely see longstrip artists using 3D assets wayyy more than manga artists do.

Interesting. Why would long strip artists be more prone to that?

White%20rose%20index
joined Aug 16, 2018

I know the story is supposed to be lighthearted fun, and we're expected to laugh at Dai Yi's silly antics, but this...

This makes my heart break in like a million pieces.

Yuu
joined Mar 28, 2015

And Jiaojiao is the childhood friend that never wins?

Aweida_compressed
joined Oct 17, 2020

I don't know but JiaoJiao sounds like a pretty funny nickname, especially so if you understand Chinese.

last edited at Oct 22, 2021 12:45PM

joined Jul 14, 2021

Lol, for sure. You definitely see longstrip artists using 3D assets wayyy more than manga artists do.

Interesting. Why would long strip artists be more prone to that?

That is...a good question haha. If you look at manhwa, they're in almost all of em, especially the rofan ones. Some creative teams even have a dedicated role for blender users, I believe? I think some combination of the tight one-week update schedule and just the precedent of using 3D assets always being there in longstrip. Whereas if you tried to introduce 3D assets in manga, I think people would riot lol.

joined Sep 20, 2021

I’m pretty sure Zhang is actually gay but might be going along with marriage because of family/society. Dai Yi’s gaydar is definitely not broken. It’s also nice to see the main character be out of the closet from the start. It’s been been bumpy for her but maybe she can help Zhang feel more comfortable about herself later. I guess I’ll have to wait and see how it plays out. waits patiently

joined Dec 5, 2019

Wait.......what if.....what if the bethoal is with an actual woman?

But anyway, either a convenience marriage or no marriage at all and just a fake betroal are my bets

joined Jan 14, 2020

Lol, for sure. You definitely see longstrip artists using 3D assets wayyy more than manga artists do.

Interesting. Why would long strip artists be more prone to that?

That is...a good question haha. If you look at manhwa, they're in almost all of em, especially the rofan ones. Some creative teams even have a dedicated role for blender users, I believe? I think some combination of the tight one-week update schedule and just the precedent of using 3D assets always being there in longstrip. Whereas if you tried to introduce 3D assets in manga, I think people would riot lol.

Koisuru Asteroid has some obvious photograph-based stuff, but it's hardly top tier manga.

Is long strip a manhwa thing?

last edited at Oct 22, 2021 2:25PM

joined Jul 23, 2019

https://i.imgur.com/CdSCBTS.jpg

This makes my heart break in like a million pieces.

It makes you sad, but it makes me angry. Like murderous angry. Like going on a rampage of slaughtering homophobic parents who hurt their child who loves them and hoped for their support.

A85b3543-23b0-436a-a1a7-7ef9eb4e7778
joined Apr 30, 2016

Is this gonna be angsty? I don’t think reading things that make me cry

Capture
joined Apr 16, 2020

I've only read chapter 1 so far and I thought both MCs are cute. And woah I didn't expect that revelation at the end since I've already shipped MC to her happy crush, I feel bad for her.

joined Jul 14, 2021

Koisuru Asteroid has some obvious photograph-based stuff, but it's hardly top tier manga.

Is long strip a manhwa thing?

Long strip and manhua/manhwa are practically synonymous at this point haha! /j I kid, but almost all manhua.hwa are longstrip, so yeah.

Screenshot%202024-01-18%20181127
joined Jun 21, 2021

There are a few manga long strips. Ouji-sama Nante Iranai and Suimittou wa Shoujo ni Kajira Reru would be two examples.

Capture
joined Apr 16, 2020

You're right, Dai Yi. She's most likely gay, just look at how her #straight and #betrothed labels fell off in that big gay swoop.
https://imgur.com/a/KWEjTci

S
joined Jan 12, 2021

Just as it starts to get good, it ends. TT

LunaaSnow Uploader
Zephyr Scans
joined Oct 7, 2021

Is this gonna be angsty? I don’t think reading things that make me cry

The comedy tag is there for a reason ;) But anyway, rest assured that there won't be anything angsty in this one.

LunaaSnow Uploader
Zephyr Scans
joined Oct 7, 2021

I don't know but JiaoJiao sounds like a pretty funny nickname, especially so if you understand Chinese.

YES OMG... you just have to turn away and say I Do Not See

Dont%20ruin%20your%20life%20stardom
joined Apr 21, 2020

I love that Zhang Guo seems to be an older woman. There's really not enough of them in yuri.

Soralaylaff
joined Oct 16, 2013

After reading ch 2 I'm betting on fake engagement. I also didn't expect to get hit with that bit of coming out realism but I appreciated it!

Utena%20rose%20white%20200x200
joined Mar 28, 2014

What is implied by coming out - that her parents know? Her friends know? Her colleagues? Students?

JiaoJiao means a pretty girl, right? Or is there more to why it sounds funny?

Altair Uploader
Reisen%20ds
joined Nov 30, 2016

Is this gonna be angsty? I don’t think reading things that make me cry

The comedy tag is there for a reason ;) But anyway, rest assured that there won't be anything angsty in this one.

This one is so much fun! Thanks for all your hard work on it

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