Deja vu - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
4 journalers for this copy...
I found this good-condition manhwa at the Used Book Superstore. The main story is a set of four loosely-connected love tales themed on the seasons and drawn by different artists; the afterword by manga artists CLAMP says "It is as beautiful as a necklace comprised of many colors of jewels." There are also two extra stories by different authors. All in all, it looks like I hit the jackpot with this one!
Later: Very enjoyable, though also very sad. [Some spoilers follow]
The first four stories:
"Spring", set in 673 AD, has a handsome young warrior choosing to abandon warfare and getting disowned by his clan as a result. Wandering the snowy wilderness, he finds a fox in a trap and frees it; later, he meets a beautiful young woman and they fall in love. [No points for guessing who she turns out to be!] There are obstacles in the way of their love, but they determine to triumph - only to have joy snatched from them in a heartbreaking moment...
"Summer", set in 1945, has a young woman doctor at a prison in Japan falling for a Korean prisoner who attempted suicide. Turns out he's a poet (based on real-life poet Tong-ju Yun). Things seem to be working out for the couple, but, alas...
"Fall", set in 1995 San Francisco, has a street fortuneteller encountering a hip-hop artist and a lovely blind woman; the artist rescues the girl from some punks, and romance ensues. Here, the fortuneteller goes into the "lovers in a previous life" idea, but when the boy asks for word about his future - well, it isn't clear if the fortuneteller's decision caused more trouble than it saved, but our lovers still can't catch a break!
"Winter" is set "a few thousand years later" in an Earth where all of humanity has perished, but a few people have been cloned by aliens (who don't make an appearance, fwiw). The story opens with two women attending the "birth" of a man, fully grown physically but emotionally still a child; they educate him as time passes, and it becomes clear that he's been created in hopes of fathering a new race with the one woman who's fertile. But he falls in love with the other one, and... oh, gosh, if one wondered just how things could get worse, this reveals it. [Too bad it didn't occur to anyone to try an open relationship and/or artificial insemination.] But the artwork is lavish and the setting dramatic, with much angst and romance, however tragic.
The bonus stories:
After the tragic romance and beauty of the previous four tales, "Utility" struck me as horrifyingly bleak - not least because it opens with a disturbed young man throwing baby chicks off of a roof to encourage them to fly. [Urk.] The story introduces other disaffected youth, who are all fascinated by the death of a teacher, and associated rumors as to why - but when they discover another body, the sister of one of the group, things get really twisted. A very effective tale, but oh, gosh, it's dark.
"Ocean", the final story, is almost frivolous by comparison. A young man with no sense of direction bumps into a lovely young woman who turns out to be a famous celebrity. She asks him to take her to the sea, and he's willing, but there's that teeny little problem he has... It might seem funny, except that her reasons for wanting to go add a tragic note. Still, this one's probably the sweetest story in the collection.
Really lovely artwork and intriguing, unusual stories. Glad I stumbled across this one!
Later: Very enjoyable, though also very sad. [Some spoilers follow]
The first four stories:
"Spring", set in 673 AD, has a handsome young warrior choosing to abandon warfare and getting disowned by his clan as a result. Wandering the snowy wilderness, he finds a fox in a trap and frees it; later, he meets a beautiful young woman and they fall in love. [No points for guessing who she turns out to be!] There are obstacles in the way of their love, but they determine to triumph - only to have joy snatched from them in a heartbreaking moment...
"Summer", set in 1945, has a young woman doctor at a prison in Japan falling for a Korean prisoner who attempted suicide. Turns out he's a poet (based on real-life poet Tong-ju Yun). Things seem to be working out for the couple, but, alas...
"Fall", set in 1995 San Francisco, has a street fortuneteller encountering a hip-hop artist and a lovely blind woman; the artist rescues the girl from some punks, and romance ensues. Here, the fortuneteller goes into the "lovers in a previous life" idea, but when the boy asks for word about his future - well, it isn't clear if the fortuneteller's decision caused more trouble than it saved, but our lovers still can't catch a break!
"Winter" is set "a few thousand years later" in an Earth where all of humanity has perished, but a few people have been cloned by aliens (who don't make an appearance, fwiw). The story opens with two women attending the "birth" of a man, fully grown physically but emotionally still a child; they educate him as time passes, and it becomes clear that he's been created in hopes of fathering a new race with the one woman who's fertile. But he falls in love with the other one, and... oh, gosh, if one wondered just how things could get worse, this reveals it. [Too bad it didn't occur to anyone to try an open relationship and/or artificial insemination.] But the artwork is lavish and the setting dramatic, with much angst and romance, however tragic.
The bonus stories:
After the tragic romance and beauty of the previous four tales, "Utility" struck me as horrifyingly bleak - not least because it opens with a disturbed young man throwing baby chicks off of a roof to encourage them to fly. [Urk.] The story introduces other disaffected youth, who are all fascinated by the death of a teacher, and associated rumors as to why - but when they discover another body, the sister of one of the group, things get really twisted. A very effective tale, but oh, gosh, it's dark.
"Ocean", the final story, is almost frivolous by comparison. A young man with no sense of direction bumps into a lovely young woman who turns out to be a famous celebrity. She asks him to take her to the sea, and he's willing, but there's that teeny little problem he has... It might seem funny, except that her reasons for wanting to go add a tragic note. Still, this one's probably the sweetest story in the collection.
Really lovely artwork and intriguing, unusual stories. Glad I stumbled across this one!
This book's going into AlterEgoZoe's Manga/Manhwa bookbox, which will be on its way to BCer azuki in Florida today. Hope someone enjoys the book!
Quite interesting to get to sample several different artists in one volume. Thanks for sharing.
The reincarnation theme is nicely done here, especially the first and late one. Kind of feel that there is the first encounter missing though, a really epic love, for the two to create enough karmic connection that lasts thousands of years. I also find the second one somewhat unrealistic, that the Japanese were treating the prisoners so nicely and that a woman can so openly court a prisoner from a captured country.
Utility is in some way my favorite, for it's so powerful and disturbing.
Overall, a very nice selection of stories, good plot and excellent artwork. Thanks Gory for sharing!
Utility is in some way my favorite, for it's so powerful and disturbing.
Overall, a very nice selection of stories, good plot and excellent artwork. Thanks Gory for sharing!
Journal Entry 5 by 
Azuki
at Manga / Graphic Novels, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, January 20, 2013
Azuki at Manga / Graphic Novels, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, January 20, 2013
Released 11 yrs ago (1/20/2013 UTC) at Manga / Graphic Novels, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sending this to AKSarah. Thanks for organizing the bookbox. Hope you find something you'll enjoy upon its return to home!
My Graphic Novel/Manga bookbox arrived back home many months ago and I forgot to journal the contents. This book was in it.
Got today from a member of Paperback Swap. Looking forward to reading it.
