More than ever, more than ever, Beat’s Bizarre Adventure gives three writers the opportunity to recommend some of their favourite books and series from Japan, Korea and elsewhere from other countries. This week we’re talking about birds, space samurai and of course suffering.
knees
Author/Artist: Joshua Barkman/False Knees
Platform: Webtoon, Gocomics, Official Site
Boy, do I love birds? But what do you expect from someone whose username is literally Adorabirb? My pick this week is False Knees, a comedy webcomic by False Knees/Joshua Barkman.
Each episode is rather short, and I want to convey a false knee of stories and jokes, from four panel strips to five or six panels. These strips have house sparrows, common crows, suitable, runes, cardiacs, and names. Everything is beautifully described with detail and attention, but it leaves plenty of room for the body language to convey more emotions than a bird is physically possible. Sometimes, the tilt of their heads is loud and silent, enough to convey their thoughts at certain moments.
The birds are painted in ink and colored in watercolor, making them look like real life. But since it is a cartoon, you can bring out a lot from each bird. False Knees is a masterclass in the amount of blocking, dialogue and body language in comic art can convey to readers.
The art is combined with a resourceful dialogue that shows how well you understand the false knees that understand each bird. There is so much personality in a sentence, and when a crow says something, you will say, “That’s exactly what the crow says.” It’s also short and pointless, making it rare on platforms like Webtoon, where over 50 panel episodes are common. By comparison, False Knees is an easy-to-digest, witty, colorful comic about my favorite kind of creatures on this planet.
So if you love birds like me, or want to read something short and stupid with amazing art, try fake knees. We have received approval from the Adorabirb certified Birb Tomato Stamp! – Justinguerero
Samurai 7
Author/Artist: suhoumbu
Based on the original story, Kurosaki Akira
Translation: Kubo Yoko
Lettering: North Market Street Graphics
Publisher: Del Rey
Seven Samurai is one of the typical films that has influenced so much art and many people. It’s not just an important samurai film, it’s also one of Kurosawa Akira. Back in the early 00’s there was a push to reimagined the film in a futuristic environment with cyberpunk/steampunk elements. In 2004, Sammy Studios released the PS2 game Seven Samurai 20xx, featuring Moebius character designs. That same year, Animation Studio Gonzo released an animated and manga version of Samurai 7, and released the source material in its own take.
Although both anime and manga follow the same core story (the farmer village recruits seven samurai to save the village from bandits), they have different approaches to the characters. For example, the young samurai Katsushiro acts as a proxy for the audience in both, but has very different personalities depending on the medium.
The Samurai 7 Manga series is short with just two volumes. That said, the chapters are so long that I don’t feel like pacing is in a hurry. Although some characters are cast overshadowed by the large cast, almost everyone is given a moment of sparkle. If you know the story of the film, you will not be surprised by the results here. However, the manga events are different enough to catch anime-only viewers off guard.
I really dig into Samurai 7 manga. The characters capture the charm of the mythical samurai with the heart of the Gold archetype. I hope the series will be longer and they will be fleshed out more, but readers are given enough to understand at least where even samurai and villagers’ characters come from. The bad guy is one note, but it is something to be expected and does not take away any joy or pity. – Derrick Crow
Bokurano: We
Author/Artist: Mohiro Kito
Translation: Camillia Nieh
Design: Courtney Utt
Edited by: Eric Sialman
Publisher: That is
The anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion was built on pioneering works such as Mobile Suit Gundam and Space Runaway Ideon, bringing psychological depth to the giant robot genre. Mohiro Kitoh’s Manga Series Bokurano: Ours may put Evangelion on top, even in the faintest points. It follows the familiar premise of a group of teenagers who are asked to save the planet from massive aliens with the help of giant robots. But there is a scary catch. The robots drive the vitality of teenage pilots. Once the battle is over, the pilot dies immediately.
Kito has the unusual talent that he can portray both the interior and exterior battles in his comics. The design of Zearth, a giant robot for kids pilots, casts a huge black shadow against Kito’s white and screen-tone background. Its unusual design, the small limbs that support a broad body with barely human characteristics, only makes the minutes strange and ominous. Alien enemies take on strange shapes such as cylinders that appear to be made from razor blades and soccer balls with too many eyes. All the battles shatter the city and further traumatize Kito’s child pilots. Kito beautifully captures their sense of resignation through their expressions, weighing and examining what to do with the time they left.
Mecha animations often depict child soldiers piloting a vast number of machines as their hopes. What kids don’t like to use toys to fight imaginary enemies? Kito is investing in this fantasy with dark results. He will not sugarcoat the sacrifices these children make or the potential for their lost. Each fight shifts perspective to a new pilot, allowing them to see their lives and show who their deaths will affect. There is a cost, whether they win or lose against the invaders. Every battle is at best a victory for Pyrrhus, making Bokrano: ours a unique dark entry in this adaptable genre. – D. Morris
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