Customer Reviews

Sorcerers & Secretaries, Volume 1 (v. 1)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As soon as I heard about Sorcerers and Secretaries, I was eager to pick it up. Any original manga-influenced work written and drawn in America that is of high enough quality to find its way onto the Japanese manga shelves in between Love Hina and Trigun (and alongside the likes of other "American manga" like Megatokyo) certainly deserves a look.

I for one loved it. Contrary to what the Publishers Weekly reviewer would have you believe, there is a lot of originality and depth to be found in Sorcerers & Secretaries, and if one looks closely, there is much more at work here than just the 'bad boy falls for mousy girl' foundation that it's built upon.

Nicole is a NY college girl both lost in and in love with her original fantasy world. She's creative, but her ideas come at a price: bad grades for a course she has no interest in, a boring job that gives her no satisfaction, and even some trouble with an employee at the local bookstore - Josh, her former neighbor, is desperate to win her heart, claim his prize, and drop her number into his quickly-filling jar. She's both a challenge and a conundrum to him, that's for sure. But how sincere is he? And perhaps more importantly, how sincere is she? Can a girl accustomed to living affably in her head ever open herself up to the harsh realities of *gasp* real romance?

The premise sounds simple, but don't be deceived. There is some tender insight to be found here, and a universal story to be told. And don't worry, friends, it's told well. The ins-and-outs of our heroine and hero's lives are never forgotten or neglected, and New York City feels solid and authentic (while the fantasy world stands out - like it should - and is defnitely worth flipping through again to revisit), all oh-so-important traits in a good graphic novel.

But perhaps most importantly, Amy Kim Ganter's characters are delicate and sensitive without forgetting to be lovable and funny, something that even Megatokyo's Fred Gallagher (bless the man) struggles with.

It doesn't hurt that Sorcerers & Secretaries is so easy on the eyes. The artwork is bright and vibrant, and the occasionally weird or uninspired artistic choices are more than redeemed by the funny and clever ones. The solid inking adds a signature of western influence to the graphic novel that is more than welcome given its content and setting.

For a first major work (though Ms. Ganter is a veteran webcomic artist with the award-winning "Reman Mythology" and has contributed to the highly acclaimed "Flight" anthology), Sorcerers & Secretaries is a clearly personal story that's charming, captivating, and surprisingly honest in its telling. It's even a little cinematic; Nicole's loneliness is explored more through images than words, and in an artform where pages are often overflowing with pointless, meaningless dialogue, that makes all the difference in the world.

It's both interesting and inspiring to see artists from inside the USA having their work featured proudly in the manga section of local bookstores. And because of its western influences and setting, it's easy to recommend Sorcerers & Secretaries, even to non-manga fans, older teens and twenty-somethings. This charming novel warmed me up on a chilly day, and now I honestly cannot wait until Volume Two.

I discovered Sorcerers & Secretaries through a friend of mine, and I'm so glad I did. The story is overwhelmingly heartwarming, engaging, and well-paced. And while the overall plot may seem simple at first, the way in which it is told is charming and unique. We don't start at the beginning of Nicole and Josh's relationship; we start in the middle and gradually piece together the beginning through flashbacks. It's an interesting and compelling puzzle, one that adds an unexpected layer of poignancy to the story.

Another delightful aspect was how instantly likeable (even lovable) the characters of Nicole and Josh were. Nicole's dilemma of being torn between her fantasy/dream world and her typical, mundane reality is easy to relate to. Amy Kim Ganter has such a talent for capturing emotions and making her characters all the more expressive, comical, and genuine. Also worth mentioning is how beautifully depicted Nicole's dream world is. The second volume can't come quickly enough.

This comic has a number of unique touches to it. Watching Nicole's difficulty extracting herself from the "real" world and immerse herself into a fantasy world woven of dreams is exciting and genuine. The artwork does a great job of conveying the tensions between these two worlds--I especially liked all the happy lines that cover the page when Nicole opens a fantasy book. Enjoyable and original. Ganter has written a nicely paced, enjoyable little book.

This was one of the most enchanting comics I've picked up this year. Amy Kim Ganter's cute artwork, and characterization of Nicole just draw you in. Nicole is running away from reality, delving into her dreamworld, the characters she writes about in her journal popping up at random in real life when she's caught up in a fit of whimsy. Any writer could relate to this, as your characters randomly pop up in your mind. But is everything in her real life so bad? The touching, yet awkward relationship between her and the strange boy who used to live in her apartment building is fun, neither mature enough in a way to know the right thing to say to the other. Which leads to a lot of heart breaking moments. This is one of my favorite books, and I can't wait for the second book to come along and finish the story ^_^
And of course, you'll want to read more to find out exactly what happens to the Sorceror in her dream world too :) Never ever trust adorable magical Mascots folks.
Be sure to check it out!

The story is awesome. I've read a lot of graphic novels in my life but none of them have been this sweet and fun without being stupid at the same time. This one is different; it's charming, it's honest and it's unpredictable. It isn't like most romance stories that are set up in episodic format - one gag after another - it's more like an arty movie in the way that it layers out as it unfolds. Sorcerers & Secretaries feels like a real story, with real characters. The vibe I get from it is that it was based on the author's life.

The artwork is fun, too. Really vibrant, more cartoony than manga, but with a lot of manga sensibilities. There's a lot of unique things too, like how words flow out from Nicole's pen when she's writing. Anyway, give it a chance and pick it up. You won't regret it.

I liked it. The layout's very clean and simple- manga inflenced, but definitely also western- lots of grids and clear, bold lines. It's actually more accessible, in terms of art and layout, than the more baroque forms of manga currently being published (cough* ALICHINO *cough). This is a book I'd give a comics fan and manga newbie (not that I wouldn't give it to just about anyone!).

The premise here is that Nicole is a secretary who writes and dreams of a fantastical fairy tale other world while living, working and studying in our boring dreary one.

She guards her dream log against discovery while fending off the catty drama of a "friend," avoiding a boy who'd like to be more than just "friends" and getting through her day-to-day life.

The situation takes a turn for the comical when the boy, who is normally pretty smooth, shows himself to be goofily infatutated with Nicole. Nicole brushes off all his attempts with a stoic cold shoulder and we don't even find out that she likes him until they have had several uninspiring encounters. All his flirting with other girls doesn't seem to show Nicole how desirable he is but that he doesn't care for Nicole in particular. So Nicole is wary of his attentions but it just makes Josh try harder.

The drawings are mediocre and even a little childish looking and I hope the plot warms up soon. I'm attracted to the idea of the plot but there's something about it that is not as satisfying as other manga (even American manga) that I have read. Perhaps it's not moving fast enough to keep my attention or well-fleshed out enough to be realistic. I'm not positive on that score yet. Maybe in the next book?

This manga was really good. This is the book that actually got me into manga/graphic novels. I especially liked that sort of romantic aspect of it, too. I give it 2 thumbs up! Oh yeah, the second book is good too! Get it!

I snatched this book the day it came out,and I was not dissapointed. I read it, and it was "so good".

I don't usaly read American manga but this one is really good. It is one of those books that you can read over and over again. I really recomend this book.