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Reviewed by Michael Aronson “Drawn into the exciting world of kabuki theater, young Akari spends her time after school assisting the internationally famous actor Shonosuke Ichimura. In the real world, however, this prince of kabuki is actually a high school cutie by the name of Ryusei Horiuchi. Akari is totally clueless about kabuki – and boys – but she’s eager to learn about both. Her first encounter with Ryusei doesn’t go very well, but with the help of a cat named Mr. Ken, the two teenagers quickly become price AND princess of kabuki.” Blink and you’ll miss it. Compared to most other manga, Backstage Prince blazes forward at light speed when it comes to plot development. It’s depressing that typical manga romance series would probably squeeze three or four volumes out of BP’s first chapter alone. Whereas other synopses might hint at a romance that comes further down the line, what you see in the above paragraph is only a small part of the events of the first volume! I’m a big fan of plot progression and development, but I can begin to see why most other manga take it slow. As soon as protagonist Akari accomplishes something new, the very next panel sometimes jumps ahead days later to a point in which her accomplishment has been status quo for a good while. This pacing is shocking and rather instantly rewarding by eliminating all suspense on the reader’s part, but it’s also often jarring. The flow of the growing romance is somewhat interrupted by these massive leaps ahead in time. It’s certainly a bold approach for a romance series, but it could use much smoothing out. Akari is well rendered with plenty of expressive poses to reflect her various moods, but her love interest Ryusei is somewhat limited. His limitations are due to his own insecurities as a character, but they don’t help to make him more compelling. He’s still a decent enough fit for his interesting situation as a star kabuki actor, certainly a unique role for a love story. A bumpy narrative doesn’t do too much to hamper this unique and gratifying love story. Though for all its forward momentum, I’d like a better idea of where it’s all heading. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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