Ludwig II 01
5 journalers for this copy...
Manga / Drama / Historical / Romance
June Manga www.junemanga.com
June Manga www.junemanga.com
The story of Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, and his love for his manservant Hornig - rich detail and intense plot by Higuri. Plus, the book is larger than usual for a manga book, so one can eagerly linger over each page clearly. A keeper for drama.
Released 12 yrs ago (8/16/2011 UTC) at by Post, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
off into the wild . . .
Another stunning package arrived today - those photograph/posters are lovely! - with this handsome manga inside; many thanks! The real-world Ludwig II is probably best known for the whole fairy-tale-castle business and the "was he mad or wasn't he" controversy, and I've seen quite a few fictional takes on him in one form or another; I'm looking forward to this one!
Later: This is the first volume of a two-part series (see Volume Two here), and I enjoyed it very much. I've enjoyed Higuri's artwork in other books, including the Cantarella series, and here she does full justice to the wonderful scenery, spectacular art and architecture - and to her assortment of handsome leading men, even where she may have taken a little historical liberty {grin}. She follows the historical events of Ludwig's life, more or less, but does tweak some of the characters and relationships a bit (and admits herself that she chose to draw Ludwig as a handsome young man all the way to the end of his story, though in real life he'd... changed a bit!). Most of the romance, and much of the angst, centers on Ludwig's relationship with young Hornig, who finds himself drawn to the king despite his fits of madness. (The sequence involving Hornig's greedy brother was among the most dramatic in this volume, and set the seal on the relationship between Hornig and Ludwig.)
The political situation does tend to interfere with Ludwig's dreams, though, and there's a lot of plotting going on all around him. Lovers past and present, real and imaginary (or are they?), betrayals and misunderstandings - the poor king's life isn't easy, nor is that of those who care for him...
I also enjoyed the extra material about the author's trip to Bavaria for research, including a visit to the memorial cross that marks the spot where Ludwig's body was found.
[There's a TV Tropes page for Ludwig II, including mentions of this manga as well as other fictional appearances.]
Later: This is the first volume of a two-part series (see Volume Two here), and I enjoyed it very much. I've enjoyed Higuri's artwork in other books, including the Cantarella series, and here she does full justice to the wonderful scenery, spectacular art and architecture - and to her assortment of handsome leading men, even where she may have taken a little historical liberty {grin}. She follows the historical events of Ludwig's life, more or less, but does tweak some of the characters and relationships a bit (and admits herself that she chose to draw Ludwig as a handsome young man all the way to the end of his story, though in real life he'd... changed a bit!). Most of the romance, and much of the angst, centers on Ludwig's relationship with young Hornig, who finds himself drawn to the king despite his fits of madness. (The sequence involving Hornig's greedy brother was among the most dramatic in this volume, and set the seal on the relationship between Hornig and Ludwig.)
The political situation does tend to interfere with Ludwig's dreams, though, and there's a lot of plotting going on all around him. Lovers past and present, real and imaginary (or are they?), betrayals and misunderstandings - the poor king's life isn't easy, nor is that of those who care for him...
I also enjoyed the extra material about the author's trip to Bavaria for research, including a visit to the memorial cross that marks the spot where Ludwig's body was found.
[There's a TV Tropes page for Ludwig II, including mentions of this manga as well as other fictional appearances.]
I'm putting this two-book series into my LGBT-themed shrinking bookbox, which will soon be on its way to its first stop with quietorchid in Minnesota. Hope everyone enjoys the bookbox!
Taken with thanks from GoryDetails's LGBT shrinking bookbox. Sounds like fun!
Beautifully drawn and an interesting read. I didn't know much about Ludwig except that he'd built Neuschwanstein Castle and was called mad. Certainly fertile ground for a storyteller, and Higuri obviously had fun with it.
Oh, and I did know that Disney's iconic castle was inspired by Ludwig's masterpiece. Life is supposed to be a bit simpler in the Magic Kingdom than it was in Bavaria. :)
Oh, and I did know that Disney's iconic castle was inspired by Ludwig's masterpiece. Life is supposed to be a bit simpler in the Magic Kingdom than it was in Bavaria. :)
Ludwig is traveling again - this time in the replacement box for GoryDetails's shrinking LGBT bookbox.
I took this from the LGBT bookbox. I've heard good things about this series, and I enjoy historical fiction. Thank you!
I've enjoyed a couple of Higuri's other European historical comics, and this one is just as lovely to look at. Detailed, crisp line art, spacious panel layout, elegant character designs and creative storytelling techniques are all hallmarks of her work.
Sadly, I didn't find the plot to be of the same quality as the art. I had the feeling she was struggling to figure out how to show Ludwig's disconnect from his country's political situations, and as a result, neither was portrayed effectively. The pacing is uneven, with occasional bursts of action between wandering, slow sections. It makes it easy to get distracted from the story.
Sadly, I didn't find the plot to be of the same quality as the art. I had the feeling she was struggling to figure out how to show Ludwig's disconnect from his country's political situations, and as a result, neither was portrayed effectively. The pacing is uneven, with occasional bursts of action between wandering, slow sections. It makes it easy to get distracted from the story.
Sent to HI77 as part of the Wishlist Tag game.
When mad becomes an adjective
and not a state of mind
Perceptions are flipped on the
head of a pin
to balance expectantly
and not a state of mind
Perceptions are flipped on the
head of a pin
to balance expectantly