Shiori Experience: Jimi na Watashi to Hen na Ojisan

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

I've been reading manga daily since 2016, at the time of writing this review i have almost 100 mangá completed and this is probably the most fun i've had with the media.

The characters are so damn compelling, the story hits you right on your feelings, the artwork is phenomenal, it is funny, entertaining, wholesome. Although it is a seinen, don't expect sexual violence or these kinds of stuff that's usually in seinen mangá. This is a Soft Seinen mangá.

The worst part is that i'm not even a huge rock fan, i was always the more kind of hip-hop guy when i was younger. My ... dad was a big David Bowie stan but that was it. Unfortunately to me - the first "Jimi Hendrix Experience" i had was back when i first started reading manga in early 2017 with the non animated at the time Jojo's Bizarre Adventure part 5, Vento Aureo. Fugo, one of the side characters in Vento Aureo, has a stand named after Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze. That's when i first heard him.

Fast-forward some years and i read a mangá about his story, some nerd curiosities about him like he being just so good that he covered a certain Beatles song after only hearding it once. Some really neat stuff.

Be aware that the story isn't about Jimi Hendrix, it is about the emancipation of Shiori Honda, our main character, and hers students, or like i grew up used to because of One Piece, her nakamas. If they suffer, they suffer together, if they cry, they cry together, if they smile, they smile together. It is just such a cute message.

The bad part is that the english scanlator is pretty behind the monthly (i believe it is a monthly release). The latest chapter available as of right now is chapter 36 from Volume 8 and there's already a volume 14.

One thing though, there are some mangá that no matter how great, won't ever become a anime series, some because of author reasons like Yotsuba, some because a anime simply wouldn't suit the story like in Oyasumi Punpun, and in this case they would need to have so many copyright licenses to play Jimi Hendrix stuff and Nirvana stuff.

There's a pro to never having a anime adaptation, though. The songs the main characters present will always be just as mindblowing as they are in their world in your imagination, I don't recommend this as a first time mangá exactly because of this, i think some people will be turned off because they have to actually think to enjoy this a little more.

The art and panneling in this mangá are simply breathtaking.

Please, give this a read. Remember you don't need to enjoy rock to enjoy this, to enjoy a superb story.

Beware:
1) You can start a Band
2) And you can Read this Manga

Though DO NOT DO THE TWO THINGS AT THE SAME TIME!!

It's A Heart Attack.

This is what's happening to me right now. Reading this manga is like starting to play with a band of very good friends, in love with music, and all doing their very best to become great musicians. It's a continuous pleasure. It's like breathing deeply the purest air, with the scent of flowers and the gentle light of a beautiful morning sun.

The Characters are alive -- even the Dead Ones. I'm in love, really. I am intoxicated by the beauty ... of this story. By the oh so sasuka nihonjin commitment of my Heroes. I love them all.

This is the Greatest Story. I'm in love, really. I want to kiss the Authors.

And, yes, I'm starting my own band now, yeah. Bass and lead vocals, hell yeah!

This manga is based on an interesting premise -- a teacher who lived mostly an ordinary life meets with the spirit of one of the greatest guitarists ever, Jimi Hendrix, who helps bring out her musical soul. Through her passion and drive, she cobbles together a group of disparate kids to make a band in order to have a great performance.

The story itself is interesting and the subject is engaging. It's a highly fun read that I think can immerse readers fairly easily. It's too early to tell much with the story, but so far, it is fairly good.

Unfortunately, while the premise is very strong, ... I think the weakness itself are the actual characters. The main character, Shiori, is done well enough, if a tiny bit cliche, but virtually everyone else are basically manga tropes. Characters with hidden passions, misunderstood delinquents, silent talents, and etc -- all of these people mocked by various people who rudely and ignorantly laughs at them only to be stunned when they played...then they go right back to mocking them. We also have the people who decides to derail the group our of jealousy, fear, or other plain silly reasons. This is, of course, done to give readers easy antagonists.

The group, of course, ignores all of this and plows on in order to simply make friends and, with the power of friendship, create fantastic music that will change everyone's minds and make their dreams come true.

As I said, basically manga tropes.

Which is a shame. How often do we see such a premise in manga? So I had high hopes that the author would do a lot of interesting things we normally don't see. However, as I also said, it's really too early to tell much with the story, thus it's also too early to tell if the characters and everything outside of the premise remains weak.

I guess the short of it is that the premise is excellent and the story still carries a lot of potential depending on where it goes. I really do hope to see much from this.