Now that's more like it.
I decided to check out a couple of titles in DC's new CMX Manga line, and the first one was From Eroica With Love (see this week's review). I didn't care for it. It boasted a lot of elements that have put me off a number of other manga and anime properties such as Cannon God Exxaxion and Dragonball Z. It was too surreal and scattered. Fortunately, Tsukuba Sakura's efforts here, originally published in Japan a few years ago, are superb. Though the two main characters have supernatural powers, the focus here is on relationships, romantic and otherwise. The writer/artist explores ethics and emotions, reactions and responsibilities in a surprisingly grounded story about two kindred spirits who find one another and teach each other a thing or two.
Kanade seems like a typical high-school student, but somtimes, when she touches someone, she sees his or her future. It feels like a curse, and when she sets out to use her gift to help people, they react quite negatively, unaware of what Kanade knows and intends. Kanade meets Arou, a new boy at her school with a similar gift, only he can see into people's past at will. Of course, when Arou sees into his own painful past, his gift feels like a curse as well. The pair sees those around them as wearing blindfolds, unaware of what they're able to see.
I'm pleased to see that the artist doesn't emphasize these teen characters' sexuality, as is often the case in other manga properties. There's intimacy to be found in this story, yes, but the artist takes an understated approach to it. The figures boast soft faces that serve the emotional content well, and their figures are thin, fragile things, serving as a symbol of their vulnerability. Again, reading from right to left takes some adjustment.
I note that there's far too wide a gap between the U.S. cover price here and the Canadian conversion. A rate of more than 50 per cent is applied here, but the currency conversion at present is less than 25 per cent. DC needs to get its Canadian pricing under control. The publisher seems quick to account for a falling Canadian dollar, but not when it gains strength, it would seem.
The creator captures the youth of these characters incredibly well, and he explores mature themes while maintaining a balance between the characters' emerging maturity and lingering innocence. The flashforwards and flashbacks are incorporated into the regular scenes set in the present, and it makes for some confusing transitions... but they should. It conveys the characters' confusion and the dizzying and emotional effects their gifts have on them.
Ultimately, I think what I enjoy most about this book is its emphasis on interpersonal connections. This isn't just a romance comic. It isn't about makeout sessions and Archie-like conflict between boys and girls. There's a thoughtfulness at play here, and the writer tackles interesting issues within the context of the relationships. 9/10
