Spotlight Manga: Freesia MAL Manga Information Page: Freesia MAL Score - 7.72 (by 361 users) Ranked - #1854 Popularity - #1126 For the next week I would like to have a discussion about the manga that focuses on the key elements that we here on MAL use to critically rate a manga: Art, Characters, Story, and Enjoyment. I would like everyone to approach this thread as if you were going to write a review and structure your initial post like this: Art - insert rating Characters - insert rating Story - insert rating Enjoyment - insert rating Art - discuss any pros and cons of the art styling used in the series, try to include some specifics. Character - describe any of the things you liked or didn't care for in regards to specific characters in the series etc... If you are having trouble writing up a review or coming up with specific pros and cons, please don't worry. Just do the best you can with it and if you can only write two or three sentences about any of the 4 elements then that's OK. Not everyone here is currently at a level which will allow them to articulate their thoughts and opinions. After your initial post is made you can feel free to civilly discuss issues of contention. I am sure there will be many opinions expressed here that some of us will disagree upon and criticise and it is for that reason that this entire club exists. So I hope everyone has fun and I am really looking forward to seeing how this discussion will develop. RESULTS OF THE YOU DECIDE POLL Freesia was NOT inducted into the club Manga list: 9 Yes - 69.2% 4 No - 30.7% 55 Don't know this manga - 80.8% of the total number polled 0 Abstained - 0.0% of the total number polled |
santetjanNov 1, 2010 2:34 PM
| You do not beg the sun for mercy. |
| No one's giving thoughts on Freesia? I always find the comments here in the Spotlights very amusing, very much so because I find most people here can express their opinions clearly more than I can, so I kinda feel bad no one has started yet. Anyway, I'm still halfway through the series and so far I'm liking what I've read. Art (8/10) - I think that Jiro Matsumoto's art is very-well thought out. Sometimes the characters look just mere sketches or scribbles even, but they have a distinct look and it adds to the atmosphere especially during those when the characters are experiencing hallucinations and lunacy. The opening pages and volume covers are very well-drawn and looks more realistic though, which is so much to my liking. Characters (9/10) - Certainly the characters grew on me, especially Kano. For me, he sometimes feels like he is not human and very human at the same time. Yeah, that is very much a contradiction. I can't really explain it, but surely he is unique. While most characters are on the brink of lunacy, there are characters like Yamada whom seem to be more sane balances out the environment and brings the most out of the other characters. Story (8/10) - The premise about retaliatory killings alone is very interesting. And added to the setting in which Japan is in war with an enemy not revealed to the readers, the vibe sometimes feel surreal. There's violence and sex here and there, and humor (in a strange way) is also present, which makes the setting more dark and chaotic but feels real. When the story jumps into minor characters whom are to receive enforcement and the people involved with them, I feel distracted a little bit, but it goes well as it progresses and I gradually develop an interest to these minor characters. Enjoyment (9/10) - I might have a different verdict when I finish the series later on, but at this point it is very engaging. It's fun dealing with its portrayal of the characters' psyche, some intense action, and weird, maybe unintentional humor it brings. Definitely a 'yes' for me. |
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| Art - 9 I can definitely understand a lot of people who have the initial impression that the art looks kind of sloppy, because it does have that sketchy kind of look to it. But as far as panel layout, detail in the fore and background, and the way it directs the eye, it's obvious the art is not sloppy at all. Characters - 9 The only reason I can't give this a 10 is because for some reason none of the characters really just seemed that amazing, but when I look at each of them they are very well written and realistic. Kano himself is very much a trip but he grew on me over the course of the story to the point that I found myself dreading the end of the story because I didn't want to see him die. Story - 9 Agree with idlezeal that the premise is fantastic. It's very obvious that Matsumoto is providing readers with an enjoyable story that also has many layers of intelligence. People can either enjoy it for what it is or read deeper into it if they wish. I think the story is made with both types of readers in mind as far as that goes. Especially poignant to me was the scene of the revenge killing where a man attempts to kill a felon who brutally raped and murdered his daughter. The fact that the father attempted it himself rather than hiring an enforcer seemed laughable to a lot of people in the story, but when you see the picture the man carried of him and his daughter it's also easy to think to yourself "How could he not do it with his own hands?". Enjoyment - 10 This story had pretty much everything. Very serious at times, darkly humorous at others, but always a great mix where none of the elements interfered. The comedy never took away from the seriousness of the story which is a tightrope most authors are unable to walk. This is one of those manga that I enjoyed immensely, but for some reason didn't consider it great at the time I read it. However, the more I think about it afterward over time the more I gain respect for it and realize how much it stands out relative to other manga. Very easy yes from me. |
| To be honest, Freesia is, to me, a perfect example of why 'No' votes aren't that often explained: How to explain where something that was clearly good lacked just something to consider it great? Perhaps I might give it a try by comparing it to Matsumoto's other manga. It wasn't as outré as Keep on Vibrating is. It wasn't as bleak as Uncivilized Planet is. It wasn't as darkly humourous as A Revolutionist in the Afternoon is. Freesia uses all elements common in Matsumoto's manga: A drawing and narrative style meant to confuse and make the reader wonder how much of what is shown is real and how much is interpretation by the character. It tells a story of a man trying to fit into normal society by joining an organisation most of us would consider unethical. It graphically and thematically uses sex and death to make a comment about humanity, the world and whatnot. Naturally, it's all used with an experienced hand, and perhaps it's this which makes it lose its edge, terribly bohemian as such a remark may sound. Freesia in time becomes predictably outlandish, with an attempt at explanation of its thematics forcibly smashed onto it in the last few chapters (including an explanation of the title). As said above, it's difficult to give a true answer to the question of 'why not?'. Then again, I cannot give a good answer to 'why yes?' either, as, in the end, it felt too much of a re-hash of elements more strongly used elsewhere. Not the best of reasons to say 'No', but there you have it. |
| You do not beg the sun for mercy. |
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