Customer Reviews

Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, Vol. 1

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

 

 

I could not help but pick up the manga with the curiously dour little character on the front? Manga has been growing in popularity for long time, underground has become a funny term, mainstream an even funnier one. This is hand down one of the sweetest, best drawn and most captivating manga's I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

It is short, it is sweet, and it leaves you craving more. Kuro, the main character, Sen her bat and the twins Nijuku & Sanju seem to blithely make it through the stories in the manga while touching the lives of those who dare to approach them. There is a mystery here, why is Kuro traveling why does she need that coffin... What awaits her at the end of it all.

With this funny, touching story telling it makes you want to welcome her in, for longer than she will stay. I know that once the second manga comes out we will the answers we want, but truthfully as faithfully as I will wait for it, I don't want to rush it I don't want to end our journey together. Kuro and her troupe are great friends to travel with.

For those who are looking for something different, Satoko Kiyuduki's comic "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" is a real find. In addition to a collection of unique characters, her manga has brilliant artwork and an intriguing story told with such depth and nuance. But what is most amazing about "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" is that, despite its strange heroine carrying a coffin on her shoulders it has a lot of humorous scenes that would make you smile.

[STORY] "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" follows the story of a heroine in black, a young, bespectacled girl often mistaken for mortician or vampire (or something else), and the interesting characters she encounters on the road. For what this mysterious young girl with big glasses keeps traveling, only she and her companion Sen (actually, a talking bat who also has a secret) know, but hints as to the answer will be given as the story unfolds.

Manga creator Satoko Kiyuduki has created a unique blend of fairy tales and traditional manga format of four-panel comic strips. Her fantasy world (that looks like Europe early in the early 20th century) deals with such serious topics as death and prejudice, but its tone is neither dismal nor sentimental, and some episodes contain even touching moments.

[ORIGINALLY] Though I mostly agree with previous reviewers' opinions, I must also point out that in spite of its occasional pathos and seriousness "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" is also a comedy. The comic has been serialized in Houbunsha's four-panel comic strip magazine "Manga Time Kirara." This means "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" follows the format of traditional Japanese four-panel comics (though not strictly) and like most of Japanese four-panel comic strips (such as "Azumanga Daioh") the fourth panel is often the "punch line" or "humorous part" of each strip. In "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" the "humor" is usually low-key, but is definitely there, effective enough to offset the serious themes the heroine's history suggests.

[LANGUAGE] I say this because part of this manga's charm comes from its language. Heroine "Kuro," being cool and trying to hide her emotions, usually uses standard Japanese when she speaks. The "snarky" Sen prefers more masculine, colloquial style. The spoken Japanese of two lovely children Nijuku and Sanju sounds (and "looks") very childish when read in original Japanese because it doesn't have any kanji letters and is often mispronounced. The twins' repeated "Kuro-cha" in fact sound very cute to us (I am a Japanese) even though (or just because) it really should be "Kuro-chan" ("chan" is an honorific used when addressing to someone affectionately).

[ENGLISH EDITION] Yen Press did a very good job. The English edition has the same format as the Japanese original (except the latter uses dust jacket): book's size, color pages, author's postscript, as well as black margins of each page. The English version also has the original's "bonus" (see. p.122-123), two illustrations on the cover of Japanese edition (hidden under the dust jacket), plus translation notes (one page). The comic's FX is also translated.

[TRANSLATION] Translation is very good, but perhaps they should have used different fonts as a way to distinguish characters. (Read the preview of Vol.2 at the end of the book that retains the Japanese writing system.) It is understandable that some interesting jokes found in the original - the twins' malapropism (p.84) "taraka" and "takara" ("treasure") - had to go. I only add that Kuro's remark "I won't let you live this time" (p.6) reflects the translator's personal interpretation. What she says is: "kondowa ajitoni kaesitewa yaranai karane," which means only "I won't let you go back to your hideout."

[TRIVIA] The illustration of "traveler unknown to youngsters" on p.122 is a nod to Snufkin, a character (and a vagabond with a large hat like "Kuro") from the "Moomin" series by Tove Jansson, hugely popular in Japan. The work has been made into animated TV series, the last time in 1990s, hence the remark "unknown to youngsters."

In short, the manga is strongly recommended. Don't be put off by the title. "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" is a moving tale with just the right amount of humor and pathos.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this comic!

I wasn't sure what to think of this from the cover. Don't be put off by the cute artwork or four panel format, though. This comic has a surprising amount of depth to it, in the artwork, stories, and characters.

The story follows Kuro, a mysterious and often misunderstood vagabond on a journey, and hiding a sad past. The stories are often touching and sad or bittersweet, but in a subtle sort of way. However, the comic also has a good amount of humor and heartwarming moments mixed in. The characters also have more depth than you would expect. This continues in the second volume, which is even better than the first one.

There is a lot more to this comic than first meets the eye. I was surprised at how certain chapters managed to touch me. The artist is also better than you might guess from the covers, capable of some very interesting artwork in various styles. The artist is also capable of drawing beautiful backgrounds, which is really important for a comic book about traveling. The color pages are very enjoyable.

A very nice surprise! I'm looking forward to volume 3.

The debut manga of Satoko Kiyuduki, "Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro" follows a black-clad traveler who wanders across the land with a coffin slung on her back. Her companions are a talking bat and two super-cute cat-eared twins. The contents of the coffin are revealed early in Vol. 1 and the companions are like open books, so the only real mysteries left are Kuro's true identity, how she'll use the coffin, and who she'll use it on. But the manga's biggest draws are Kiyuduki's chibi characters, a story told in 4-koma (4 panel) style (read from top to bottom, right to left), and some full-color pages. The story itself reminds me of the anime series "Kino's Journey," with similar characters and plot. Another drawback is the comic's misleading T-for-Teen rating; rated for language and violence, "Kuro" is clearly for the tween crowd (give or take a few mature themes kids should know about anyway). Vol. 1 includes a preview of Vol. 2, in Japanese.

Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro is a unique offering by mangaka Kiyuouki Satoko. The manga is an interesting slipstream mix of fantasy and "mad scientist" archetypes used as settings for telling a series of uplifting slice-of-life stories.

The main character, "Kuro", is a traveller on a quest to locate a witch who has mysteriously cursed her. Frequently mistaken for a boy and just as often as a travelling mortician or vampire, she wanders through her world meeting a wide variety of characters who are, like her, traveling or experiencing life through their own unique perspectives.

The storytelling style is presented in interlinked "4-Koma" or 4-panel snippets, with occasional merging and meshing of panels into seven or eight panel runs. A large number of colored pages are presented as well, which only deepens the beauty of the stylistic and, at first, almost childish art.

Kuro is accompanied on her journeys by her teacher (Sensei), Sen, who has also been cursed. Along the way, they meet Niijuku and Sanju (shortened forms of "Twenty-nine" and "Thirty" respectively), a pair of experimental twin girls with cat ears and tails that Kuro and Sen discover in the dungeons of an abandoned mad scientist lab. The addition of the girls is a wonderful stroke of creativity in that it allows Kiyuouki-sensei to offset Kuro's well-earned pragmatism with the needs of corralling and educating a pair of innocent and boisterous children.

Niijuku and Sanju The foursome team up to travel together and, along the way, have many heart warming and exciting encounters with a variety of interesting characters. These include the prettiest and friendliest "witch" the world has ever known (and who just loves having company), an airplane delivery girl who has trouble keeping her craft in the sky, a motorcycle riding moocher who chose his name by pointing to a letter on a poster, and, of course, each other.

Even though the twins garner a lot of attention and presence in the scenes, it's the mystery of Kuro's journey and her curse that really underlie the narrative. She and Sen are, oddly enough considering the pace of their journey, in a race against time. The proof of the seriousness comes in the form of the coffin that Kuro totes around with her everywhere.

Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, Volume 2, CoverLike its art, the story behind Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro is much deeper than you might think upon your first reading. It doesn't take many panels, though, before you realize that there is a tragic backdrop to gentle Kuro's wandering. Volume 1 functions mostly as introduction for Kuro, Sen, and the girls. There is, however, more than enough foreshadowing to encourage you to pick up volume 2 and keep reading. And volume 2 is where some more details about Kuro and her past with Sen really come to light.

I highly recommend Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro as a unique, creative, and touching read that truly moves beyond the overwhelming cliches of normal, lesser manga fare.

I picked this up on a whim the other day and I've been pleasantly surprised. The art is cute and well drawn. It has a lovely style that is really easy to enjoy. The color pages scattered inside were also very much appreciate. But best of all, I'm genuinely interested in finding out why Kuro is traveling with a coffin on her back and a bat (Sen) at her side.
Kuro and Sen are strange and endearing as are the little twins Nijuku and Sanju. I can't wait to read more about them. Ironically Kuro's story is much more interesting (and better written) than a lot of the novels I've read lately. Highly recommended for the patient. The impatient might have a bit of trouble getting through this first installment as it's more questions than answers. Still thoroughly enjoyable though.