Mujirushi: The Sign of Dreams

This could possibly be one of the best manga I have ever read, I worry that I will overhype this, but I just really enjoyed it. I think that a big part of my enjoyment came from the fact that I purchased this with no prior information as to what the story was about and didn't even open it up to check the inside, so when I actually sat down to read Mujirushi, it shocked me at every turn. I think that the twist and turns and shocking and unexpected, the story is interesting and the characters are deep and interesting, there really isn't adownside to this story.

I never thought I would dislike an Urasawa Naoki manga... Until today. I decided the checkout the 200 page really short seemingly innocent Mujurushi. Now the main reason I put it so low is because of how short it is, if it was longer no doubt Naoki would have been able to work his story telling genius into making a fantastic ending and long form manga. However given the ridiculous and weird plot I doubt even more volumes would have helped. There's a lot to digest the story was not bad however by his standards it's a 7 at best and this coming from aguy who gave Pluto and 20th Century Boys a 10 (masterpieces please read them). Iwami is up there with Jar Jar Binks as characters that can somehow ruin an entire story beginning to end with his horrific character design and dialogue befitting a horror movie where I die of cringe. Other than that stupid French wannabe the rest of the plot and characters are decent I enjoyed the father daughter dynamic and I enjoyed how intelligent the young girl was. The whole factory plot and then the sudden twists that occurred in the later chapters remediates the story and the firefighter guy was by far the standout good guy of the story overall it's not bad but it is disappointing coming from Naoki. I still say check it out. Oh and I've always been a critic of Naoki's art, it's his story telling that transcends the medium of manga and turns every comic he makes into a novel series. Spoilers section: I can't understand why the father would take her back till I remembered this shit is normal in Japan apparently. I would play devil's advocate and say he did it for his daughter either way throw that hoe wife away. Iyami was really goddamn annoying ruined the entire manga for me with his disgusting character design.

Mujirushi – Spoiler Free – Recommended TLDR Story – 5/10 – 5 x 0.275 = 1,375 Art – 9/10 – 9 x 0.2 = 1,8 Characters – 7,5/10 – 7,5 x 0.225 = 1,6875 Enjoyment – 7/10 – 7 x 0.3 = 2,1 Total: 6,9625 -> 7 Story – 5/10Mujirushi is a one-volume manga by the legendary Naoki Urasawa. It tells the tale of a father and his daughter and the hardships they face because they are poor and full of debt. In this, they know a French person with a heavy accent – known as the directeur – that runs an illegal scheme concerning works of art, and wants to steal one of the paintings in the Louvre. As this manga was sponsored by the Museum of the Louvre itself, it's normal that there is such a big emphasis on it. We see depictions of the museum at night, the attic and other parts of the museum that visitors do not commonly access. This depicts the real-life opportunity that now Urasawa had when making this story. There is also the parody of the former – and soon-to-be-actual – president of the United States, Donald Trump, who is, in this case, depicted as a woman. Elements such as these help make this story light-hearted and with comic relief moments. There is one fatal flaw, however: near the end of the manga there is a serious lack of vraisemblance, which inevitably lowers the score that the story has. It also looks like it was somewhat rushed. Otherwise, and aside from that, it is a somewhat suspenseful – especially from the second half onwards – and engaging story that grips the reader through this one-volume manga. The ending is somewhat lacking, but it successfully concludes the story. Art – 9/10 Urasawa’s art style is flawless. The characters are able to convey their emotions, the page composition is good, the character design is excellent, the scenarios, backgrounds and landscapes are a joy to look at, and the cadence of the panels and the page flow are impeccable as well. Characters – 7,5/10 Although this is a one-volume manga, it is fascinating how Urasawa is able to make such engaging and memorable characters. They aren't overly complex, as definitely there wasn't any space to do so, but they are nevertheless owners of their own personality and are well made. Moreover, part of the characters are absolute comic reliefs that help ease the tension and the suspense of the story. Enjoyment – 5/10 This is a light read from Urasawa himself. It is funny and engaging; it is also a very short read. It is very easy to recommend Mujirushi, although one should not expect a Monster or 20th Century Boys out of this. For these reasons, it deserves a recommendation.