The Lady of Udon

A true gem: Its unorthodox art style and experimental telling of the story - constantly blending alternative fantasy scenarios that allow us glimpses of the characters psyches - are an absolute joy. The realism in the portrayal of human doubt, worry, sex drive are all beautifully rendered in tiny details that let you guess, rather than be told. This realism and the tiny details that let you understand the inner worlds of the characters through glimpses make for a titillating read that feels rather sensual in nature without ever giving too much away. The only complaint that someone may have from this story is that itcould have been extended to a longer work. However, in my eyes that would only detract from its beauty. The way it is, it captures a moment in time for the two main characters. The rest, is rightfully left to the imagination. However if you fear that this has a vague ending, this is not the case. The story feels complete.

A sweet little josei about a couple with a large age gap, the lady being the older of the two (a dynamic I, personally, am quite fond of). The plot is simple and rather linear, but is well executed and refreshing for it's lack of typical drama and angst. The characters are realistic, their circumstances and perspectives easy to relate to. The focus is solely on character's inner thoughts and reactions to one another, with very little time spent on fleshing out the setting, character backgrounds and supporting cast (though I don't believe that is entirely a negative). Est Em's beautiful art tells the storydelicately through facial expressions, gestures and symbolism. The backgrounds are minimalistic, but that works well with the story, directing the viewer's attention to what's important. I may have preferred a little more backstory and character development (particularly for that flashy professor), but overall this was an easy, enjoyable read, definitely worth the time spent on it.

This takes about maybe 30 minutes to finish and it's a real gem. It's like a good snack. While there are already a lot of romance mangas that infuse food into them, this just uses udon. How udon is used to show their motivations and inner monologues as well as fantasies is really fun. Even until the very last chapter, udon is still somehow involved. Not only is the presentation creative but effective as well. Now I'm craving for some. Not too much comedy but what little it has is very effective and got some giggles out of me. No drama at all unless you choose tobe pretty sensitive. The presentation of the romance aspect is I have to say pretty unique as well, opting for something very minimalistic, and it works in the sense that it goads the reader to often make their own monologues for the characters because there is very little dialogue. All in all, if you have 30 minutes to spare, this would be a good way to spend that.