HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT (VOLUME 1)
September 13th 2009 22:35
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Story & Art by: Kazune Kawahara
Translation & Adaptation: Gemma Collinge
Touch up Art & Lettering: Mark Griffin
Design: Izumi Hirayama
Cost: AU$15.18
We’ve all heard the story of the ugly duckling right? What you haven’t heard this iconic fairy tale, good grief what is going on with the state of the world? Essentially the whole concept about this story is about transformation and the fact that ducks are not good at telling the difference between their offspring and those of other birds. Of course I have often wondered what was so great about swans, be they white, black or pink with red dots, they might look pretty but they can be downright vicious and don’t need much provocation. So why do I mention swans, ugly ducklings etc well they have a bearing on the story that is unfolding in this particular piece of shojo manga, High School Debut has elements of the ugly duckling story as well as little bit of Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.
It all begins with love, as sociable creatures we humans crave the attentions and affections of members of the opposite sex in most cases. Some of us though are completely clueless in how we can win the said attentions and affections of a member of the opposite sex; I speak from personal experience here. In this story our plucky protagonist Haruna Nagashima is a young girl in her first year at high school and seeking love. Something of a tomboy and a devotee of all the things that various girl magazines say you should and shouldn’t do when trying to catch the eye of a guy you like she is in something of a pickle. For some reason no of these strategies are working, she isn’t getting anywhere in the game of love.
As I read this particular volume it did cross my mind to wonder if any of the material making up the basis of the story was drawn from the author/artists own personal experiences. Who knows, still this high school romantic comedy goes along in its explorations of what to do when you’re a person looking for love but have no idea how you should achieve your goal. Unlike so many other people in the world Haruna knows what she wants, a boyfriend and love the problem lies not in her objective but the methodology in which she employs to achieve her goal. Still despite the setbacks she is not daunted and vows to do whatever it takes to get her a boyfriend. What she needs is help, advice, guidance, a coach…
Enter Yoh Komiyama, a sophomore student at the same high school as Haruna and he rather looks like a young version of Mick Jagger from my perspective but maybe that’s just me. Yoh is apparently an expert on what guys are looking for in a girl…he sounds exactly like the kind of person Haruna needs advice from. The only problem is he isn’t really interested in being Haruna’s love coach. This is a spanner in the works for our plucky protagonist, but rather than giving into despair and giving up the ghost she continues on with relentless determination. That’s just the way she is, no doubt due to her sporty nature and desire to excel at softball which along with manga was her major focus in middle school.
Of course Yoh eventually agrees to be Haruna’s coach to help along the windy twisty paths of love and that eventual goal of finding a boyfriend and happiness, on the condition that she does not fall for him. Ah the potential for future problems is laid down right here…At this stage though the big problem that Haruna has to deal with is that when all is said and done she is such a tomboy and it’s an aspect of her character that she just seems completely oblivious to. As a champion softball player who was the star pitcher on her team Haruna has strength, stamina and muscles that could possibly put off most would be boyfriends along with the fact that she overdoes the whole girly image and ends up looking like something off the top of a wedding cake than a bona fide girlfriend.
Actually Haruna seems very much like the stereotypical ditzy blonde so beloved of western sitcoms, a girl completely unaware of what she is getting herself into and the very real dangers and pitfalls that can occur to those looking for love in all the wrong places. Still despite her naiveté she is a rather likeable character, and regardless of the kind of story you are telling be it a high school romantic comedy, an action thriller or a work of eldritch sorceries and horror if the audience can’t relate to the protagonist then I feel you lose something regardless of how good your overall story might be. It’s very important in my mind to have a likeable protagonist, and I suspect that in this particular genre of manga it’s of the utmost importance. I don’t think a romantic comedy along these particular lines could work with a harridan or prima donna as the protagonist, still then again who knows.
Having picked up this particular volume from the shelf at my local library it was a pleasure to read. I have to admit in the last few days it’s been rather hard to find something to read, a paradoxical statement to make in regards to a library I admit still you get those days where it seems the stacks are barren of anything of any substance. Now I have to clarify that remark, by substance I mean not so much the number of pages, or whether it’s won this or that award or even been mentioned by various television celebrities what I mean is enjoyment factor. If a book is a pleasure to read then in my mind it’s got significant substance, if it’s a chore that ends up becoming an albatross around your neck then abandon it as swiftly as possible. High School Debut is a work of substance in this regard, it is very enjoyable to read and I have to confess once I started to read it I found it almost impossible to put down. So if you’re looking for some easy, fun, entertaining reading then I recommend High School Debut.
Story & Art by: Kazune Kawahara
Translation & Adaptation: Gemma Collinge
Touch up Art & Lettering: Mark Griffin
Design: Izumi Hirayama
Cost: AU$15.18
We’ve all heard the story of the ugly duckling right? What you haven’t heard this iconic fairy tale, good grief what is going on with the state of the world? Essentially the whole concept about this story is about transformation and the fact that ducks are not good at telling the difference between their offspring and those of other birds. Of course I have often wondered what was so great about swans, be they white, black or pink with red dots, they might look pretty but they can be downright vicious and don’t need much provocation. So why do I mention swans, ugly ducklings etc well they have a bearing on the story that is unfolding in this particular piece of shojo manga, High School Debut has elements of the ugly duckling story as well as little bit of Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.
As I read this particular volume it did cross my mind to wonder if any of the material making up the basis of the story was drawn from the author/artists own personal experiences. Who knows, still this high school romantic comedy goes along in its explorations of what to do when you’re a person looking for love but have no idea how you should achieve your goal. Unlike so many other people in the world Haruna knows what she wants, a boyfriend and love the problem lies not in her objective but the methodology in which she employs to achieve her goal. Still despite the setbacks she is not daunted and vows to do whatever it takes to get her a boyfriend. What she needs is help, advice, guidance, a coach…
Of course Yoh eventually agrees to be Haruna’s coach to help along the windy twisty paths of love and that eventual goal of finding a boyfriend and happiness, on the condition that she does not fall for him. Ah the potential for future problems is laid down right here…At this stage though the big problem that Haruna has to deal with is that when all is said and done she is such a tomboy and it’s an aspect of her character that she just seems completely oblivious to. As a champion softball player who was the star pitcher on her team Haruna has strength, stamina and muscles that could possibly put off most would be boyfriends along with the fact that she overdoes the whole girly image and ends up looking like something off the top of a wedding cake than a bona fide girlfriend.
Actually Haruna seems very much like the stereotypical ditzy blonde so beloved of western sitcoms, a girl completely unaware of what she is getting herself into and the very real dangers and pitfalls that can occur to those looking for love in all the wrong places. Still despite her naiveté she is a rather likeable character, and regardless of the kind of story you are telling be it a high school romantic comedy, an action thriller or a work of eldritch sorceries and horror if the audience can’t relate to the protagonist then I feel you lose something regardless of how good your overall story might be. It’s very important in my mind to have a likeable protagonist, and I suspect that in this particular genre of manga it’s of the utmost importance. I don’t think a romantic comedy along these particular lines could work with a harridan or prima donna as the protagonist, still then again who knows.
Having picked up this particular volume from the shelf at my local library it was a pleasure to read. I have to admit in the last few days it’s been rather hard to find something to read, a paradoxical statement to make in regards to a library I admit still you get those days where it seems the stacks are barren of anything of any substance. Now I have to clarify that remark, by substance I mean not so much the number of pages, or whether it’s won this or that award or even been mentioned by various television celebrities what I mean is enjoyment factor. If a book is a pleasure to read then in my mind it’s got significant substance, if it’s a chore that ends up becoming an albatross around your neck then abandon it as swiftly as possible. High School Debut is a work of substance in this regard, it is very enjoyable to read and I have to confess once I started to read it I found it almost impossible to put down. So if you’re looking for some easy, fun, entertaining reading then I recommend High School Debut.
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