Forum - View topicRednal's Reviews: Suzunari! (All) by Shoko Iwami
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Rednal
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The following review is not sponsored or endorsed by ANN, and does not necessarily reflect the views of ANN and/or any members of its staff.
Suzunari! Volumes 1 and 2 (Complete) Mangaka: Shoko Iwami US Publisher: Yen Press ISBN: --Volume 1: 978-0-7595-2900-7 --Volume 2: 978-0-7595-3072-0 Price: $10.99 (US) Overview: Suzunari! is a 4-koma series, just like Azumanga Daioh, featuring a relatively normal girl named Kaede and her catgirl twin, Suzu. While not especially long at only two volumes, it's light humor and not a bad way to spend some time. Story: The plot of Suzunari begins with God. That's right. For reasons not explained for a relatively long time, however, God lets this catgirl thing go off into the world so she can be with her "onei-chan" (this is not a new term you haven't heard, by the way, nor is it a typo; it's Suzu mispronouncing "onee-chan"). Suzu promptly does exactly what's asked, and is accepted into Kaede's household by her very, very chill parents. Kaede does try to resist Suzu's tendancy to mess up normal life, but doesn't always manage it. The story does take a serious turn at the end, and that section is done quite well despite the usually friendly storyline. Suzunari! does contain light shoujo-ai between Kaede and Suzu. Rating: B. It's not the most dramatic or epic thing I've read, but for what it actually sets out to do, it works fairly well. Characters: Suzunari! actually has a fairly likable cast of characters. Suzu is somewhat predictably in her affection for her "onei-chan", but likable when she does it, and Kaede's reactions (especially when she realizes she's getting used to Suzu) are a good counterpoint to that. The Class President, who worships the God of Moe (seriously) is almost always funny, as is the teacher, the occult-loving friend, and the parents. There aren't too many other characters, and while only Suzu and Kaede have much depth, this is primarily a comedy series anyway. Depth isn't particularly necessary. Rating: A-. The characters are likable and funny, which is exactly what they set out to do. Art: As a 4-koma, Suzunari! doesn't always follow the same background rules as a normal manga series, though admittedly there isn't a huge difference. When the backgrounds are present, they tend to be moderately detailed, but it's fairly obvious that they're there only to help with the setting; it's almost like you're supposed to notice them only through your peripheral vision while you look at the characters. Which isn't actually a bad thing, as this is an entirely character-driven series, so it works better here than it might elsewhere. Otherwise, the art style is effective for the tone of the series, neither too dark nor too light most of the time. Each volume contains several colored pages, and these were done nicely. Rating: B+. It isn't always perfect, but there isn't much to complain about, especially if you're reading it just to relax (which is probably the idea). Final Word: Suzunari! is a light, fluffy series most of the time, and it's an enjoyable read. At only two volumes, it feels a little on the short side, but then, it would probably feel stale if it was dragged out much longer; as it is, there isn't so much of it that you're likely to get bored, and it really is kind of fun watching Kaede try to deal with Suzu. It's also short enough that it's not a very large investment. I should note that the series is printed in books larger than the manga average (they're 8 1/4" by 5 3/4" or so), so if your shelves are barely tall enough for the usual books, you might have to place these ones sideways. Final Rating: B+. |
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