Udon no Hito
The Lady of Udon

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A true gem: Its unorthodox art style and experimental telling of the story - constantly blending alternative fantasy scenarios that allow us glimpses of the characters psyches - are an absolute joy. The realism in the portrayal of human doubt, worry, sex drive are all beautifully rendered in tiny details that let you guess, rather than be told. This realism and the tiny details that let you understand the inner worlds of the characters through glimpses make for a titillating read that feels rather sensual in nature without ever giving too much away.

The only complaint that someone may have from this story is that it ... could have been extended to a longer work. However, in my eyes that would only detract from its beauty. The way it is, it captures a moment in time for the two main characters. The rest, is rightfully left to the imagination. However if you fear that this has a vague ending, this is not the case. The story feels complete.

A sweet little josei about a couple with a large age gap, the lady being the older of the two (a dynamic I, personally, am quite fond of).

The plot is simple and rather linear, but is well executed and refreshing for it's lack of typical drama and angst. The characters are realistic, their circumstances and perspectives easy to relate to. The focus is solely on character's inner thoughts and reactions to one another, with very little time spent on fleshing out the setting, character backgrounds and supporting cast (though I don't believe that is entirely a negative).

Est Em's beautiful art tells the story ... delicately through facial expressions, gestures and symbolism. The backgrounds are minimalistic, but that works well with the story, directing the viewer's attention to what's important.

I may have preferred a little more backstory and character development (particularly for that flashy professor), but overall this was an easy, enjoyable read, definitely worth the time spent on it.

Story:
It's not bad, but it's not amazing either. The romance is somewhat superficial and based solely on fluff, and there's really no complicating incident or event to look forward too. It's a cute little romance with no real grounding in reality. Nothing all that exciting takes place and nothing all that offensive does either. It's just a very basic premise with no real value beyond a simple, cute romance.


Art:
Not all that excellent, but there's definitely a style. It feels very western, almost as if it were in the Sunday paper. It's very rough sketch, but at one point I wondered if the mangaka's intention was ... to make every line look akin to a noodle with odd, almost random bends.

Backgrounds are barren and vacant. The world is very limited. There's nothing particularly pretty about the work.


Character:
Just enough to keep someone reading for 8 chapters. There's not much of an agenda and there's no real conflict other than the simplest of issues that is, more or less, ignored. That said, it didn't particularly need to be anything special. The narrative is linear, incredibly linear, with zero sub-plots and very little characterization other than our leads falling in love.


Enjoyment:
I'm sick, super drowsy, and I didn't want to fall asleep just yet. Due to Udon no Hito's length, as well as it's inoffensive nature, I can say without a doubt that this wasn't a waste of time. It wasn't, perhaps, the best use of my time, but the work itself is still somewhat interesting, despite it being more akin to a fanfiction with cutesy romance than a unique narrative.


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