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So at this point, I've read the first three volumes of I Am A Hero, and ultimately, my reaction is meh. More detail as to why: Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's terrible. Actually, as far as zombie universes go, it's among the better, I think. I just ultimately don't care much for zombies, both on an aesthetic level, and on a personal level. I tend to stay away from violence/gore because it gives me nightmares (yes, even though I'm almost 30), and general horror for a similar reason. All three of these tend to trigger in zombie stuff; this is no exception. I've already had one semi-nightmare from it, and am pretty much going to be working to forget it so I don't have more. But like I said, as far as zombie stuffs go, it's among the better I've encountered and bothered to spend any time with. At least, in terms of world and plot. Another thing that bothers me is that the main character is a mangaka. I tend to have a reaction (admittedly kneejerk) whenever media feature a main character who is an artist of that medium. I tend to feel like things like films about filmmakers and books about authors and songs about singers all tend to border on self-indulgent, and end up being mouthpieces for the author to complain about their industry instead of actual good works of art (but there are exceptions). The blathering in IAAH about manga and mangaka tends to turn me off; really, I couldn't care less. Hideo also doesn't end up being a sympathetic character to me. It may be some of the Japanese culture causing a divide, but I really don't get any good sense of him as a character from the beginning. Why does someone who hallucinates have a gun? Why should I care about him? Frankly, he feels like a loser--almost like the exact same main character everyone complains about the manga Hideo draws. It feels to me like it's probably describing the author himself. Ultimately, it feels like I'm supposed to identify with Hideo because I'm like him. But I'm not like him. Not that I'm saying that I only want to watch things about Characters Like Me. I like seeing things with Characters Not Like Me. But the author has to do a little dance to make me want to like someone not like me. Why should I like this character? What about him/her can I identify with, to make me like him/her more? None of this groundwork seems to be laid for Hideo--instead, I should like him because he's nearly 30, a failure in his chosen profession, a loser, has hallucinations, and has a gun. None of this grabs me at all. If I liked zombie stuff, I'd be willing to look past that to see how the zombie stuff goes down. But between already being averse to zombies, and not liking the main character, I just can't keep going. Ultimately, I won't keep reading it, though I'll probably still recommend it to people who are looking for a good and different story that fits in its main conceit. Just not up my alley.
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Jan 16, 2014 03:10
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| # ¿ May 4, 2024 03:53 |
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Yeah, that makes sense about I Am A Hero, and I have gone and read spoilers at this point. For the kind of story it is, it is fairly well-done, and like I said, for people who like that, it's awesome. I just can't get into it, but it stays on my list of "recommend to other people if I think they might like it". I have one of the older full printings of Nausicaa on my shelf that I picked up in college. I also have the full set of Akira, which is one that I would recommend. The movie barely touches any of the crap that goes on in the manga, if you're worried about the head-trip part. It's a lengthy series (6 huge volumes), but ultimately pretty cool, I thought. Then again, I haven't read it for a decade. I've also checked out Boku wa Mari no Naka, and am enjoying it (though I tend to like gender-bender/do-over stories). Though I'm trying to understand what all this about CrunchyRoll is from a bit ago. Does that mean that the only way I can actually read it and keep up with it is if I pay CrunchyRoll some money, or will stuff still show up on like, KissManga?
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Jan 16, 2014 05:38
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The Nausicaa movie takes some of the elements of the manga and does some things with them that are kind of cool. The manga takes them and does some amazing things with them. A lot of themes and philosophical issues that the manga raises are barely even mentioned in the movie. When I try to make the argument to people that manga doesn't just mean Naruto, hentai, and chibi poo poo, Nausicaa's the one I pull out. Of all the manga I've read, it's the one I think is most likely to be remembered in literature classes for decades.
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Jan 19, 2014 21:26
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