Customer Reviews

Dramacon Ultimate Edition

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great shojo manga! Even though the author isn't Japanese, you can tell that she is greatly influenced by shojo manga: sparkly backgrounds, shojo-style art, teenage angst, hot-guy-who-falls-for-average-girl plot, and the list goes on. But don't let that fool you into believing that this is an average story. There is definitely a mix of cultures, and it's a refreshing break here. The heroine is very humorous and the art is impeccable.

For those of you who are not familiar with Dramacon, this is about a girl's relationship with an enigmatic guy she meets at a convention over the span of three years (hence the three volumes). Included in this edition are all three volumes of the series, several pages of extras, and a few glossy full-color pages of pictures, including the cover art for all three of the smaller volumes. This is a great buy, especially for being hardcover as well. You won't regret it!

I picked up this edition at barnes and noble, wanting the whole story for less money (rather than buying all 3 separate novels).

And it was worth it!

The characters are quite real and even has real life quality (moral wise) put in. The story takes its twists and turns, making you want more and more!

Great for people who have been to a Convention, because they would understand the con atmosphere and get a kick out of some of the scenes from thinking, "Hey, I've seen that before at my last con! Hehe!"

On the art note, it can deliver emotion, and it's quite a bubbly style, making it easy to laugh, or feel sorry for the character. The panels are sequenced well, and the whole book it self is well put together!

Mat and Chris story is fun and fast. and if you have ever been to a Con well tou know what its like, The Author cought the atmospear perfectly. First you cant believe what your seeing then you can't waite for next year. But who knew Love could Bloom? See what happens in Dramacon Ultimate Edition also look for a little extra. Hint Hint!

The book I bought on Amazon was in mint condition just as the seller claimed and I am so ecstatic that i finally have the whole series, even if its in one!

Dramacon is the story of an American Manga webcomic author as she attends her first anime conventions as a seller in the artist alley. If you didn't understand that sentence - don't worry! The main character is new to everything, too, figuring it out as she goes along. In addition to trying to sell her comic, Christie meets new friends, deals with a jerk boyfriend, runs into the guy of her dreams, cosplays for the first time, helps her artist with a family that disapproves of her hobbies, and deals with drama as a whole!

I always lend my volume of Dramacon to the Manga Library at anime conventions, as it is the perfect way to introduce parents to both the comic books as a medium and what the convention is all about. The comic has a fun (if drama filled!) story that takes place at an Anime Convention, and as such has the benefit of telling a story while being somewhat informational to convention first-timers.

Dramacon, as a story, is solid. The characters come alive with funny and interesting dialogue. The plot knows how to take itself seriously while maintaining a generally light hearted feeling, and while there is plenty of drama everything is wrapped up neatly at the end of each volume.

The art is likewise solid, if very stylized. This author draws in a style that is very much traditional Manga, yet still manages to be extremely unique to the artist in a way that I could always pick it out of a crowd. Chibis and other style elements such as sweat drops are used liberally, but not excessively.

As far as the actual physical book, the Ultimate Edition is definitely the way to go over the individual volumes. The book is hardback with a decent binding, and the artwork is larger and thus clearer. The book is about an inch taller than the standard volumes, and thicker, but better quality. This book also has a bonus chapter, an interview with the author, and concept art not in the original release in ADDITION to the extras available in individual volumes.

I would definitely give Dramacon five fully deserved stars. I picked up the first volume in a library five years ago, and to this day it remains one of my favorite manga, and one of the few that I will habitually re-read.

Dramacon: The Ultimate Edition' is a collection of all three volumes of the Dramacon series bound in hardcover with enlarged print. Confession: I have enjoyed many shoujo mangas in the past. Confession: I've been to at least eight anime conventions (if not more). Confession: I love everything about Dramacon!

There are so many good things about this manga style comic. For me, there are three things that make a manga good. They are quality art, strong storytelling, and great characters. Do well with these three things and you have a winning story!

In my opinion, 'Dramacon' excels at all three elements! Artist/Author Svetlana Chmakova has a great artistic eye. Her characters are adorable and expressive and her images overall always seem to get the message across. Her style is manga inspired, but you can see her own unique style in there, too. The two page spreads in 'Dramacon' are all fantastically drawn. Take a look!

Story? 'Dramacon' earns high marks in that area, as well. I love the premise of this manga. The story revolves around two people (Christie and Matt) who meet by chance at an anime convention. The convention elements in the story are fantastic. From personal experience, I can say Chmakova captured the typical convention goings-on really well. As far as story elements, 'Dramacon' has a good mix of romance and comedy, making it great shoujo!

And the last thing-- characters... I love the characters in this manga. Christie has some great sarcastic lines and her 'inner thoughts' are fantastic, especially when they completely contradict what she saying out loud! Matt, the hot male lead, is well rounded and really likeable. The secondary characters all have their own little bit to play in the story, as well. The fact that they have a reason to be in the story and even some side storylines of their own, make them a great addition to 'Dramacon'.

So, if I leave you with nothing more than one thing, let it be this. 'Dramacon' is good, clean, fun and if you are at all into shoujo manga or even romantic comedies, you should try this out! It gets 5 out of 5 stars.

This is a beautiful manga made by an intelligent, witty Russian/Canadian author. It gives a year by year account of an annual 3-day anime convention, and the awkward, but sincere love and friendship between two people that develops and the relationships that develop and adapt around them. The honest truth is that no manga reader has ever read anything with such a pure take on real life before. We can identify with the characters because we've all been in some crazy kind of atmosphere like that before. And Christie is just an ordinary girl. The idea of meeting a stranger at a multi-day event and that person being your soulmate... lets face it, it's most everyone's fantasy. And if the "cute" doesn't sell you, the humor will.

Just FYI, in this addition, there is an extra chapter not in the third book where Christie and Matt go on their first real date. A great ending to a great story.

Typically, when I complete a series, I sell all of the books to make room on my bookshelf for my newest read. But when I completed Dramacon, I rushed out and bought the Ultimate Edition so I could have a beautiful, easy to read hardcover copy of this series on my bookshelf for all time.

Dramacon's plot follows a girl at her very first anime convention. The new world puts her life into a tailspin as she suddenly sees her friends- boyfriend included- in a very different light after dealing with them in the hectic atmosphere of an anime convention. She also makes new friends, one of which is a mysterious cosplayer whom her interest in will drive the rest of the series.

Having said that, I must say that I don't think this series would be nearly as enjoyable to people who have never attended an anime convention at least once. Many of the events and characters are subtle nods to those who have attended anime cons before, as if the author is saying, 'Remember when you saw this?' or 'Remember when this happened to you?' Not only did Dramacon make me laugh with its silly humor, but it also made me feel the excitement I felt when I first attended a convention- the first time I cosplayed- and the first time I sat in a hotel and bounced up and down eagerly awaiting the convention that would open the next day. The author captures a sort of excitement that not many authors can with this story, and I think that's what makes me keep coming back.

If you're a fan of manga and anime, and you love conventions, you are in for a real treat when you read Dramacon. And getting the Ultimate Edition is a great investment, because if you're in that demographic, you probably won't want to put it down after the first book is through.

I absolutely loved Dramacon! The story pulls you into the world of anime conventions and some of the drama that happens there. I am a 5-year veteran of anime conventions, and i was very impressed at how accurate Svetlana portrays the people, places, things, and atmosphere of kids just getting together to have a good time! This is a definite MUST HAVE for any manga lover!!!!

I actually found this on my Itouch. I downloaded the first free episode ad loved it. I decided to look for the complete series and found it here on amazon! I bought this book a couple of weeks ago and just got around to reading it. I really like the animation and the storyline its really good and you can't beat the price!