Mizuki Shioko - Crossroad, vol. 01-07 (Eng. trans.)
Sun, Dec. 16th, 2007 09:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oyceterThis started out as an incredibly promising series and then went downhill fast.
I loved the first volume. Kajitsu has two brothers who aren't actually related to her by blood. They were all raised for a while by Rumiko, who isn't any of their biological mothers, but who dated their fathers (they all have separate fathers). Rumiko left, and Kajitsu, Natsu and Taro were all separated.
Now, Kajitsu's grandmother has just died, and Natsu and Taro have returned, and they decide to try things out as a family. They also acquire a new (non-blood-related) little sister, courtesy of Rumiko abandoning yet another kid.
I loved the tone of the first book, which focused on loneliness and how family isn't necessary a function of blood relations. I particularly liked Kajitsu's prickliness and her loner nature, and the distance between her and Natsu.
Unfortunately, the rest of the series is about random shoujo romances, all in an attempt to keep Kajitsu and Natsu apart until the final volume. The mangaka introduces a ton of new characters I was completely uninterested in, and she (and everyone) focuses on Kajitsu becoming "cuter" and more open to people. I just wanted to yell that I liked prickly, awkward, rough Kajitsu and didn't want her to become cuter!
Spoilers start here!
Also, a huge chunk of the romantic to-dos involve a teacher! Gack! Ok, he's a substitute teacher, but I still don't care! I hate teacher/student relationships, especially when they're portrayed as all happy and cute and no one seems to have a problem with it! Kajitsu jokingly pushes Akai-sensei away after he keeps hitting on her, but again, this is presented as cute! And loveable! And we are supposed to like Akai-sensei!
I just wanted something on Kajitsu and her makeshift family, not all these romantic tangles. I found Kajitsu increasingly unbelievable as a character, as she would just randomly react whatever way made the plot more convoluted. And while I liked Natsu in the beginning (the scene in the first volume when he burns the letter! That killed me and made me read the next six volumes), he gets boring too.
Mizuki gives him the requisite tragic background, complete with him cutting open his arm, and I just didn't believe any of it. Especially because after we find out, it never really comes out again. Ditto with the plot twist regarding Taro and his biological mother -- it's there as a shocker, and then once the chapter is done, that's it.
Sigh. Too bad. Maybe I'll just reread the first volume and pretend the rest doesn't exist.
I loved the first volume. Kajitsu has two brothers who aren't actually related to her by blood. They were all raised for a while by Rumiko, who isn't any of their biological mothers, but who dated their fathers (they all have separate fathers). Rumiko left, and Kajitsu, Natsu and Taro were all separated.
Now, Kajitsu's grandmother has just died, and Natsu and Taro have returned, and they decide to try things out as a family. They also acquire a new (non-blood-related) little sister, courtesy of Rumiko abandoning yet another kid.
I loved the tone of the first book, which focused on loneliness and how family isn't necessary a function of blood relations. I particularly liked Kajitsu's prickliness and her loner nature, and the distance between her and Natsu.
Unfortunately, the rest of the series is about random shoujo romances, all in an attempt to keep Kajitsu and Natsu apart until the final volume. The mangaka introduces a ton of new characters I was completely uninterested in, and she (and everyone) focuses on Kajitsu becoming "cuter" and more open to people. I just wanted to yell that I liked prickly, awkward, rough Kajitsu and didn't want her to become cuter!
Spoilers start here!
Also, a huge chunk of the romantic to-dos involve a teacher! Gack! Ok, he's a substitute teacher, but I still don't care! I hate teacher/student relationships, especially when they're portrayed as all happy and cute and no one seems to have a problem with it! Kajitsu jokingly pushes Akai-sensei away after he keeps hitting on her, but again, this is presented as cute! And loveable! And we are supposed to like Akai-sensei!
I just wanted something on Kajitsu and her makeshift family, not all these romantic tangles. I found Kajitsu increasingly unbelievable as a character, as she would just randomly react whatever way made the plot more convoluted. And while I liked Natsu in the beginning (the scene in the first volume when he burns the letter! That killed me and made me read the next six volumes), he gets boring too.
Mizuki gives him the requisite tragic background, complete with him cutting open his arm, and I just didn't believe any of it. Especially because after we find out, it never really comes out again. Ditto with the plot twist regarding Taro and his biological mother -- it's there as a shocker, and then once the chapter is done, that's it.
Sigh. Too bad. Maybe I'll just reread the first volume and pretend the rest doesn't exist.
(no subject)
Mon, Dec. 17th, 2007 03:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Tue, Dec. 18th, 2007 11:29 pm (UTC)You did not miss much! Well, there is the introduction of the lesbian character, but she doesn't get much to do. And she might be in v. 5.