Customer Reviews

Comic Party, Vol. 1

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This manga is presumably the basis for the Comic Party anime by To Heart Studios (there is also another manga series, but this is the one that follows more or less the TV plot), but there are several major differences. Notably, Kazuki Sendo and the other major characters are in college rather than high school, and Kazuki's character is rather more punkish and dark than the TV version of himself, which was more or less like every other 'good-hearted loser' in anime. This is a good thing. The jokes are often more adult than those in the TV series, and occasionally more pointless, such as Mizuki's use of a nail-studded bat as a weapon. Overall, this different flavor promotes the idea of a rebellious and independent art style, which suits Comic Party, which is, after all, about the underground and independent comics market.

Kazuki is a very talented artist who, unfortunately, was not accepted into art school. He blames this on lack of effort on his part and seems to be lacking focus. Into the picture comes his insane and energetic friend Taishi Kuhonbutsu, who drags Kazuki (along with disapproving girlfriend Mizuki) to the Comic Party- a convention of independent fan comics ('doujinshi') makers. While Mizuki insists that 'anime and manga are for kids', Kazuki is impressed by the degree of love and determination that the convention attendees show for their work. At the prompting of Taishi, Kazuki begins work on his own doujinshi and is brought into the fabulous and colorful world of fancomicry!

Sekihiko Inui's art is better than appropriate for this slightly rougher incarnation of the story. The character designs are all unique (except perhaps Kazuki himself, but even he is more distinctive than he is on TV), especially Taishi (who sports a constant three-piece suit and a set of canines that Dracula could envy) and Mizuki (who mananges for the first time in history to carry off a side ponytail.)

The world of doujinshi is mostly represented through the works of the artists involved. The most important characters in this edition are the feuding artists Eimi Ooba and Yuu Inagawa. Kazuki separates these two on several occasions and eventually partners with Yuu on a collaboratory work, leading to jealous spying on Mizuki's part. All the while, Taishi watches from the sidelines, pushing Kazuki on to ever greater heights and enjoying himself immensely.

Comic Party is an excellent addition to any manga library that does a great deal to show why manga artists and fans feel the way they do about their art.

I bought this manga a while back and I hated it. It is rated Teen but should be rated older teen or M. It has foul language, risque outfits and some discrimination (referring to the scene where in the background it refers to a Cuban in a vulgar manner).
The story is not developed and poorly written. The art is okay, but not unique.

Dont even waste your money on this, it is complete and utter GARBAGE.

In short, this was the single worst manga I have ever read, and I have read a lot of them. The story isn't original, the humor is forced, and the artwork has yet to be desired.

Okay, let me start at the beginning. Kazuki got rejected to the fine arts academy, and of course he was upset. But then he got pulled into the world of doujinshi, underground comics. After attending just one convention (just one!!), he suddenly decides to be a manga artists, just like that. He doesn't even take the time to think things through about his future or anything, and he pretty much spirals himself downhill into a life of stress, unhappiness, and constant grief from those around him. Now, I'm not saying the career of a manga artist is a bad one, but I am saying that Kazuki did not even think of entering another college or continuing his education. He just stopped. That was fault number one, and I found it to be an insult towards aspiring artsits.

The humor was forced. There's no better way to explain it. Sure, the artwork was okay, but I felt as though there was too much chibification and exaggerating expressions. Let's face it--Even though this is manga, no one would ever make faces like the ones in "Comic Party", and no one would even think about expressing that type of emotion. This led to the feeling of forced and confusing humor. I giggled maybe twice throughout the whole book. As for the characters' personalities in general, they were MAJOR stereotypes in the manga world, going back to the unoriginal story.

All and all, I was not impressed at all. I usually expect stories about creators and doujinshi to be entertaining and enjoyable, but this was just disappointing. Don't waste your time or money on this pathetic attempt at a manga. You're better off buying an actual doujinshi rather than reading this waste of paper.

This manga may not have been appreciated by manga fans who are just coming into the game, probably because it did to the depts of the love for manga. I myself am an doujinshi artist so can relate to the rejection, strugle, and passion of Kazuki's expirience. I highly recommend this book if you have a true love for manga (like me, a 7 year fan and I'm 15), but if you just like it because its a new fad, please don't soil it with your virgin hands because it'll be to much for you to grasp.

Kazuki Sendoh has just been rejected by a fine arts college. Not because he didn't have the talent and not because he doesn't love to draw. He was rejected because he didn't put in enough effort. Maybe he sensed that his artistic expression was not going to come through a formal education. His friend Taishi has his own agenda for Kazuki to fulfill his potential. He leads Kazuki and his girlfriend, Mizuki, to Comic Party, the biggest anime, manga, and gaming convention in Tokyo. It's there that Kazuki is introduced to the world of Doujinshi (underground comics). In other words, self-published manga. Just as Taishi has planned, once exposed to the world of manga, Kazuki yearns to create his own and begins to discover hitherto unknown satisfaction in a field that he saw only as a curiosity before. This first volume is mainly about character introductions and the ins and outs of the Doujinshi industry along with Kazuki's first attempts at selling his own creations. His life is further complicated by the fact that his girlfriend HATES manga and everything associated with it. Her resentment only increases as Kazuki becomes more and more abosorbed with creating his comic than with her.

It's cool that in Japan anyone with a idea and talent and creativity can give manga a go. If only the comic world in America was as easy to break into. If I lived in Japan I would be going to these conventions all the time. If I didn't mention earlier in the review this book is a comedy. For instance, Taishi believes that peace on earth and the redemption of the human race can be brought about by manga. It's a little darker and inferior to the anime version. For instance, Mizuki's standard way to punish Kazuki is to hit him with a baseball bat with nails protruding from it. The conflict between the two top manga artists, Yuu and Kiteratsu, is just as funny as the anime. To me, at least, the manga wasn't as funny as the anime. It just lacked the charm and hilarity of the voice actors. Still worth checking out, at least for fans of the anime. I will try the second volume to see if it gets better. I highly recommend both volumes of the anime over the manga version.