Is it me or does this get better as it goes? I like the way Shou is bulding up Ran and Keiko's relationship; it's been abundantly made clear it goes beyond simple friendship, still it's not exeactly a romantic one. I'd bee more than happy to see the author dig deeper and deeper, 'cause he's good at that.
I agree. I find that he's one of the few among manga artists who is very deliberate about what he shows in each panel/page. He seems to know how to get the right "shot" and dialogue to push the visual narrative, as a good storyteller should.
Romantic or not, the main focus is clearly the dynamic between Ran and Keiko. A series that can show how women relate to each other in a meaningful way has a huge plus in my book.
Agreed. Examples abound, but I've always liked the teacher's look and brief pause in speaking when she counts off the students on this page: http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/prism_ch3_5#9
Here too: http://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/prism_ch02#3
Shou is so odd to me; he's a plagiarist, and he's drawn pedo-stuff according to the profile thing. I really like his works on here, but I can't feel "right" recommending them to people I know.
Sorta like recommending Woody Allen or Roman Polanski movies, but on a lesser scale of abhorrence. I wouldn't support an artist that is an unapologetic creep.
He has both a strong grip on visual composition (knowing what to focus on precisely), and a strong understanding of the complexities in relationships. The ambiguities, the unstated intents, the need to connect meaningfully to other people that can never be fully understood.
Like, he's a good manga author, but I couldn't tell my sister that this how-to comic on stretching exercises has an excellent slow-burn plot. I mean, there's the ridiculousness of that first sentence, and then there's the stuff I mentioned about Shou's past body of work, about what it makes me feel.
edited for a bit more clarity
last edited at Feb 20, 2015 6:00PM