| Spotlight Manga: Octave MAL Manga Information Page: Octave MAL Score - 8.06 (by 989 users) Ranked - #768 Popularity - #1014 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 Octave was NOT inducted into the club Manga list: 5 Yes - 55.5% 4 No - 44.4% 57 Don't know this manga - 86.3% of the total number polled 0 Abstained - 0.0% of the total number polled[/b] Octave (Manga) (26/11/17) - Yes: 2 - No: 2 - I haven't read this manga: 34 ~ Abstained: 1 - 50% |
TruePeinDec 5, 2017 2:36 PM
| You do not beg the sun for mercy. |
| Octave is a seinen coming-of-age story. Not the coming-of-age associated with puberty, this is seinen after all, but the change that happens when a student walks out of high school, and is now considered and expected to be an adult. Already a bit of sketchy stage of modern life, and it doesn’t make things any easier if the individual is too self-absorbed to stop trying to be the centre of attention and move on to find their own little niche in society. Akiyama’s Octave follows much of the same path as Asano’s Solanin, a young woman figuring out her place in her new, ‘adult’ life. The difference between the two concerns the leads, with Octave’s Yukino being a naïve, self-righteous, overly-dramatic child (also known as a teenager). Also, lesbians. To follow the standard format, let’s start with the art. Akiyama’s character designs are simple, light, clean, and are more human-like, as per the norm with seinen works of this kind, with nothing overly elaborate but distinct enough to differentiate itself among other like series. Background art is much the same, simple, often non-existent following the mildly art-house style Akiyama seems to be going for, if not for just for the sake of saving effort. So, no glaring errors in the art, coming down to personal preference to determine how much one will appreciate it (I tend to be a fan of simple character designs, so it should be obvious where I stand). Coming to the focus of the story, Miyashita Yukino, the 18 year old ex-idol. Yukino is, as said before; naïve, as shown with her brief stint in stardom; overly-dramatic, with most every conflict throughout the comic’s run being almost entirely avoidable and usually conjured up solely by Yukino; and self-righteous, seen in her periodic woe-is-me monologues. Yukino is a pretty awful person, and certainly an unlikable character. So, like most teenage characters in a romance manga. But unlike other comics, this isn’t an accepted character trait, with Yukino being called out, frequently, on her bullshit, something that really needs to happen to these character types more often. By not expecting the reader to sympathise with Yukino, Octave sets itself apart from many other similar romance comics, with the fault for most all misunderstandings and contrived conflicts being laid squarely at Yukino’s feet. And it all allows for actual character development. In her final monologue she acknowledges her faults, that she’s always relied on others rather than herself, and that she’s dwelt on one stupid mistake for too long. In other words, she grew up. Yukino is simply an unlikeable character for most of the run, and that’s probably why I enjoyed watching her slowly grow so much. And that leads to the second lead, Iwai Setsuko. Setsuko is given much less time than Yukino, and exists mostly to push Yukino along, but still manages to carry her own distinct presence. She goes through less development, with the little she does have mostly concerning her understanding of her own relationship with Yukino, but she also doesn’t require much development, as she’s already sorted through most of the problems earlier in life that her partner is dealing with. It’s also refreshing to see a romance get up to pace rapidly, as most romance comics seem to take their good time with the courting stage stretching out forever, while in Octave Setsuko straight up seduces her partner in the second chapter, for no other reason than pure lust, and the two are firmly ‘together’ by the fourth. A separate story paragraph seems redundant, given how character focused the comic is, so just one point. While the ending of Octave is fitting, it does feel as if Akiyama had a bit more she wanted to write, but had to wrap up, specifically the meeting with Yukino’s parents that happens just after the comic ends. But it still works plenty fine without it. Concerning the yuri - Octave is one of the better yuri themed manga out there, mostly due to the gayness not being the sole focus, something that most yuri and yaoi often seem afraid to do. Instead, Octave is a coming-of-age drama, just one with a gay lead. |
| Pants are subjective. |
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