Othello 1 (Othello (Del Rey)) [Paperback]

Satomi Ikezawa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2004 | Series: Othello (Del Rey) (Book 1)

HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES
Yaya’s high school friends haven’t been very nice. They call her “Yaya the cry-ya! Yaya the misfi-ya!” But no matter how badly they act, Yaya is just too naïve and trusting to believe the worst of her friends. Hard-rocking, butt-kicking Nana is just the girl to grab hold of Yaya’s timid demeanor and turn it upside down. Nana exposes Yaya’s “friends” as slime bags, doles out punishment, and does it all with style. Can there be anything that terminally shy Yaya and hyper-confident Nana have in common? Well, for one thing, they’re the same person. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This could have been yet another in the long line of manga sagas focusing on the life and loves of a cute high school girl. Ikezawa's tale of 16-year-old Yaya Higuchi does begin as cookie-cutter fare (with requisite Sailor Moon-esque art), but it swiftly dives into the deep end of weirdness. Meek Yaya and her backstabbing "friends," Seri and Moe, spend their time doing things that girls in stories of this genre usually do: shopping and mooning over cute boys and teen pop idols. But unbeknownst to her girlfriends, Yaya is involved with a group of "makeup band" enthusiasts who dress in goth-rock costumes, which allows her to express a more assertive personality. That persona aggressively springs to life when Yaya becomes smitten with hunky Moriyama, a Led Zeppelin fan who also fronts a band. Since Yaya is too shy to deal with her feelings for Moriyama herself, her alter ego, Nana, takes over, exhibiting great confidence, empowered-yet-wholesome sexuality and martial/gymnastic abilities commonplace to superhero strips. As Nana appears more frequently, she sets Yaya's catty pals straight as to what a couple of utter jerks they really are, and ignites an escalating war of humiliation, romantic outmaneuvering and petty abuse against them. Ikezawa tells this story in a disjointed manner, but the plot and art capture enough universal teen angst to hold readers' attention.
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From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up–Yaya is timid, apologetic, and socially awkward. She feels like herself only when she can hang out in gothic dress with other fans of her favorite band on Sundays. However, inside Yaya lurks Nana, the vibrant, aggressive, fearless side of her personality. When Yaya gets a headache or sees her reflection, Nana comes out to get revenge on anyone who hurt her. And although Nana knows about Yaya, Yaya always wakes with no memory of what just happened. Ikezawa's art is polished and skillful, though it bears a more-than-passing resemblance to Miwa Ueda's "Peach Girl" books(Tokyopop), luminous eyes and all. Still, this is a fun romp and original in its own way.–Susan Salpini, TASIS–The American School in England

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 16 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (October 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345479130
• ISBN-13: 978-0345479136
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.6 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #909,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW ME, August 4, 2005

By 

Sesho "www.sesho.libsyn.com" (Pasadena, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Othello 1 (Othello (Del Rey)) (Paperback)

YaYa Higuchi, a timid and shy 16 year old high schooler doesn't really have any friends. The only people that would sort of qualify are Seri and Moe. But they treat her like dirt, mocking her behind her back and in front of her face. Her clothes aren't trendy enough, she's not pretty enough, fix us lunches, give us your concert tickets: these are examples of how the two sadistic girls treat her. Any normal person would cut ties with them, but YaYa doesn't want to be alone and I guess she thinks bad company is better than no company. And there's also Moriyama, a guy she sorta likes, but he makes fun of her too, or is it that he wants her to respect herself more? Things begin to change when YaYa receives a "post capsule", which is like a time capsule, where you write yourself a message and the post office delivers it to you years after. In this letter the 7-year-old YaYa said her dream was to be a rockstar! There's also a compact from the "Magical Girl Run-Run" show about a magical girl. Later on when a gang of boys try to take advantage of YaYa, Moe, and Seri at a Karaoke Box, the other side of YaYa's personality asserts itself in the form of NaNa, the outgoing fighter who doesn't take anything from anyone.

Othello is a comedy with very dramatic underpinnings. The fact that someone can surpress their true self so much that your personality has to split in order for you to be complete is pretty sad. It would be nice if everyone had the power to be their own person, but that doesn't always happen, especially in high school. NaNa's bits were very funny as she tries to foil the plans of the deceptive haters Moe and Seri and there is the makings of a love story between YaYa and Moriyama that seems interesting. Othello is a comedy that also examines loneliness, failed dreams, and peer pressure. But there's a nice dose of hope, love, and sympathy dashed in there too.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go NANA!!!!!!!!!, June 15, 2005

By 

Brianna "chigau moth" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Othello 1 (Othello (Del Rey)) (Paperback)

This comic is tragic, yes. I've never read Shakespeare's Othello, but it is one of the great Shakespearean tragedies, n'est-ce pas? The cover artwork of this book is what attracted my eye. It's a lot like "Peach Girl" by Miwa Ueda (check it out, it's also great!) The beginning just makes me want to stomp Seri and Moe into the dirt. It just gets worse as the story wears on and you'll grow to hate Seri and Moe even more. Yaya is the underdog with a twist! Nana is there to rescue her! I would absolutely marry Nana or Moriyama (yes, he likes Zeppelin!) and they'd make such a great pair! You'll find yourself rooting for Yaya and praying she'll somehow get her life in order and embrace Nana permanently! The one thing I don't get though is how Yaya can cosplay, yet she is still Yaya. THAT is her balance. THAT is who she truly is. I can't wait to get the second volume! DEEP themes of the yin and yang, the moderate, the extreme. And since when did Del Rey or whatever-the-heck it is start publishing manga! I really like the introduction and explanation of Japanese cultural references. I would love for Viz or Tokyopop to start setting up their manga like this! A must-read for any fan of the saint-sinner idea, yet I've never read anything like it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique art with a cute frame, March 30, 2005

By 

KJ Colleen (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Othello 1 (Othello (Del Rey)) (Paperback)

Probably my favourite part about this series is the art. There is a certain theme of drawing that can be found throughout a lot of manga ("Fruits Basket", anyone?), but the characters in this novel are like I've never seen before. The costumes Ikezawa draws for the Cosplay kids are beautiful by themselves.

The story is adorable as well - if you've ever been kicked around or felt insecure about yourself, this is definately something for you. When I was in middle school, I felt much like Yaya. Seeing the butt-kicking Nana take revenge was a bit cathartic for me, I'll admit ^_^

Shy girls rejoice!