 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | DEL REY | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | KOUJI SEO | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 208 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | M | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 06/17/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 06/11/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Suzuka gets an M rating mostly for the mature content related to sexuality and adult situations of that nature, but it isn’t done in any kind of exploitative way – it’s just mature subject matter meant for mature readers. It’s worth mentioning that Suzuka did so well as a manga that it is now also available as an anime on DVD from FUNimation Entertainment, so that is a good indication of how great this manga is – not just any manga gets turned into a television series. In volume eight, it’s time to get reacquainted with old flames. After his breakup with Honoka, Yamato turns his attention back to his true love, Suzuka. The first time Yamato confessed his feelings for her, Suzuka turned him down cold. Maybe if Yamato wins the one-hundred-meter dash and becomes the fastest high school runner in Japan, he will be worthy of Suzuka’s affection. But can Yamato beat his archrival, track hotshot Arima Emerson? And will victory in the race really be enough to win Suzuka’s heart? The art style of this series is hard to put a finger on exactly because it’s almost juxtaposition in how a reader may view it. The art is both fun and mature – it has a sense of being for a mature audience, but doesn’t skimp on being fun on a number of levels – I guess you could say the style is sort of sexy, but not in an exploitative manner. And perhaps that’s kind of hard to do in this day and age, but Suzuka certainly sits on the fence and looks good while doing it. It should be mentioned that the “sporting event” sequences in this volume are really good – the dynamic Suzuka is a mature work about relationships, and people, and all the misunderstandings and crazy things that happen when you mix those things together. It’s really quite entertaining – it’s like a slice of life, but with more conflict and angst than your regular serving. Not to say there aren’t some laughs in there too, because there certainly are! feel of the visuals lends themselves well to bringing out the intensity of the race. The artist really takes advantage of the space he is given and fills up the entire page – you just can’t say enough good things about that and the difference it makes to a reader. The books in this series are also a larger than usual format, so the art is of course going to be larger in turn. The book is about half an inch wider and taller than most regular manga - and in this case bigger is most certainly better. Character designs are great, especially for the girls (go figure) – each one is quite different and you can see their attitudes and who they are being very well represented by the visuals. The extras include in-depth translation notes, some four-panel cartoons, and a preview of the next volume of Suzuka. The translation notes are especially appreciated and always help to fill in the gaps of understanding when it comes to deciphering what the Japanese are trying to say with some of their different cultural references and whatnot. The cartoons are such a great extra – they’re quite funny and add a bit of that old “breaking the fourth wall” goodness that’s always good for a laugh.
IN SUMMARY:
Suzuka is a fantastic love triangle, that in actuality is a love octagon (or something along those lines!). It’s full of relationships, confusion, and the general goings on of anyone’s young adulthood. A very entertaining read in a large-size format book, Suzuka has many great things going for it! |
