Short Program

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

While ‘Spring Passes’ is a very good short story and the best of the collection, to say it is the best thing Adachi Mitsuru has ever created is going a bit too far considering the greater complexity and lasting enjoyment that his longer work gives to the reader. But ‘Spring Passes’ is still excellent, the way its plot twists and twists again past the point you expect it to stop ensures its impact and memorability. The visual metaphor at the end justifies the subject matter of rugby in fantastic fashion.

‘The Current State of Affairs’ is another highlight, and similarly, accomplishes a lot in a short ... space. Notable for its pleasant, festive atmosphere, believable drama, and bittersweet ending. Lacks subtlety maybe, but that would be out of place for a highschool reunion.

In ‘The Runaway God’ Mitsuru goes into the memories of his youth and Shinji Nagashima, a manga author that Mitsuru’s brother (and eventually Mitsuru himself) worshipped as God. Interesting both as an insight into Mitsuru’s career trajectory, and as a story itself.

Lastly, I’d throw in ‘Love Confession’, which represents the best of Mitsuru’s older short stories. A pretty sweet love story.

I’d recommend to read these four stories, I think they’re all worth reading. There are some others like ‘Angel’s Hammer’ that you could argue are worth reading as well, but Spring Passes covers the same ground and is generally just better.

I've been ignoring Short Program for a long time, coz one shots aren't usually my cup of tea. How wrong was I.

Every single chapter of this series is pure Adachi work. If you like this author, you'll enjoy Short Program immensly.

The stories are nice, simple, heart-warming, and interesting. There are plots, and twists, and events, but it falls under the "lovely slice of life" category in my opinion.

Art is definitively Adachi. Vintage, round, dynamic, cute and expressive. Gives an unique vibe.

Characters are also familiar. Same tropes than in his other works, same faces, but it isn't bothersome. Adachi is able to make us believe they ... are actors playing characters.

Enjoyment is there. I totally binge read this without a pause.

Overall note: 9. An unpretentious manga showing, for me, how great a story teller and an artist Adachi is.

Here is another series of self-contained stories by an author like Mitsuru Adachi, an author who with touch has managed to conquer the hearts of many readers from the nineties to today, making him a great classic of Japanese manga together with other authors, it was almost a pioneer if you will, of the Italian interest in new manga with a different target, touch is placed in the nineties where there was the boom of Japan and all that it brought, not only new manga but also video games and films or cartoons , and publishing houses began to pop up to sell those products ... and many others closed their doors to make room for competition. In any case, I personally approached the comic back in 2002 when I left my mountains to venture into the city and I've only seen a few episodes of the anime from Touch, but I know broadly what the story is about and in the end I'll read it in full ; in this comic you see his unmistakable trait of the author, I only recently discovered that it is a comic that completes the series of stories called "short program", the quote to himself in the second story of "the hard life of a freeloader" is very nice ” , his stories always full of some kind of sport and amorous entanglements, a fundamental characteristic for knowing the author, otherwise this volume entertained me about twenty minutes due to its simplicity. A special applause to star Comics who always manages to improve, I love the color plates.
I give the volume a 6.5.