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Reviewed by Dan Polley The eighth volume of “Moon Child” by Reiko Shimizu starts with high-octane action as one of the main characters is thrust into what could be a life-or-death situation. In one of Jimmy’s dreams, Art dies. Can Jimmy stop that from become a reality before it’s too late? And when Art faces imminent danger, Gil Owen steps in and takes the hit for him. What will such an action mean for that relationship and, ultimately, Jimmy? The aftermath of the accident, a trip to Russia, Gil Owen’s plans and Art and Shonach take over the remainder of the plot in the volume. Some of the plot brings a creepy vibe into the volume. It’s a bit weird for a seemingly adult man to love and show romantic feelings for a young girl. The affectionate physicality introduces some cringes. While there are some touching moments in the relationships, there is a bit of a dichotomy in those and the young age of Jimmy. Also, the love triangle can be confusing for first-time readers. It’s hard to distinguish who is attracted to whom. For first-time readers, this volume will be heavily confusing, which is extremely off-putting. While it’s certainly understandable that creators can’t make every volume a jumping-on point, there are some things they can do to help the readers along. For example, in this volume, on the first page, there are no pointers on the word balloons to indicate which character is saying what. It’s hard enough for first-time readers to distinguish who is who, but it’s magnified when they have to find out who is saying what, too. The art is a bit off-putting as well. All of the characters seem to have an extremely similar facially structure, which makes it quite difficult to know who is who. “Moon Child” feels like it could be a great story with a bunch of interesting plot points for readers along the way. However, this volume just doesn’t do a good job of showing that. Although the characters and their motives are a strong point, the way in which they are portrayed through the art doesn’t help to convey that. That and the love triangle with a too-young-appearing Jimmy push this volume to mediocrity. 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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