Othello 1

This story begins with the sad life of Yaya. She lost her mother, she's bullied by her "best friends", and she's competely shy and timid. Just when things are getting worse for Yaya, Nana, her alter ego appears and saves the day! Now Nana is righting wrongs and doing so in a kick butt style! Things are looking better for Yaya with Nana and Moriyama (Yaya's boy classmate)!! This book is great! You really connect with Yaya at the beginning and the author just keeps on grabbing your attention! It's a great hook which will leave you wanting more! The drawing style of the author is in my oppinion good, you can really follow the story. The author also adds helpful notes that keep you informed on things you might not get! So I give this book two thumbs up!!

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.

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!

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!

I loved the story line for this manga and the art is beautiful. I can not wait to get the next volume. The story is about a girl named Yaya who hangs out with her so called friends. Her friends use her and make fun of her and she does not like it but she does not want to be alone either. She soon starts crushing on a guy, and certain situations seem to bring out another side of Yaya. She starts telling her so called friends off yet Yaya is unaware of this alter ego and her friends don't believe it is really Yaya. She is a really nice girl but when her alter ego shows up she is a whole new person ready to take on the world. The story is really fun. I suggest it to anyone who likes manga.