Karakuri Odette

*Contains a little bit of spoilers* I decided to read Karakuri Odette because of Suzuki Julietta, hoping that it would be somewhat similar to Kamisama Hajimemashita. To those who came for this same reason, don't expect too much. Anyhow, let's get started with the actual review. Story : 7/10 This is the only story that I've ever read that has androids/robots but isn't very sci-fi-ish. The story is more about innocence and discovering what it is like to be a human being. The usual topics like love, jealousy, friendship, yadda yadda are discussed. There's a teensy bit of romance as well. I couldn't give a score higher thana 7, mainly because the story was kind of all over the place. I know that many people were disappointed due to the ending. I, too, felt great disappointment. Art : 9/10 Once again, as I am a fan of Suzuki Julietta's work, I loved the artwork. Character : 8/10 Just about the only interesting character was Odette and Asao. I would've liked to see more of Chris, but he practically disappears in the middle of the manga. I thought something exciting was going to happen with Chris, but nah. I also didn't like how the characters were underdeveloped (aside from Odette). I don't understand how all the broken, misfit, cold characters suddenly somehow changed their minds or way of living after talking to Odette. By this I mean the characters were too malleable. It's almost as if these characters were robots (haha see what I did there?) Overall : 8/10 The manga wasn't terrible, so I won't give it a low mark. I had been looking for something lighthearted and innocent -- nothing too serious or emotional -- and this was perfect.

Is a human body an essential, necessary component of a human soul? Tezuka's answer with Atom was "No." And that, until now, was the most beautiful answer I'd ever heard. It's an answer that cancels all of the stupid, machine-like prejudice that we human beings seem never to be able to get rid of. But then I read Karakuri Odette. Her story gave my question the sweetest and most beautiful answer, one that made my heart warmer and brought grateful tears on my face. What makes a human being truly human? It's the human heart. A Pure Heart, like Odette's. I liked everything of this work. Character development is fantastic,the story is moving, art is great. I think I will read it again and again!

As I'm someone who hasn't read a whole lot of manga, I can't say you'll agree with the points I mention, but overall, I found Karakuri Odette to be an extremely enjoyable read. To be honest, I picked up this manga because I found the premise interesting. I'll touch on this later but the primary reason I enjoyed it so was because of character exploration. If you like manga that explores characters, this is for you. Now... Firstly, the plot: It isn't heavy at all, it's a comedy after all, and this is something I really liked. The story itself starts out slowly and then gainspace. There's a nice balance between action and getting to know people- pacing's great. Artwork: The style is simplistic, but for me it contributed to the atmosphere. Overall I have no complaints regarding the artwork; I love the character designs. Characters: If the characters are good, then the animanga is good. If the main character is good, the animanga is a work of art. As I said before, I haven't read a lot of manga. I've read enough shojo with bland female leads though and I can say that Odette is definitely unique. You can't help but love her, and all the other characters for that matter. Yeah, everyone isn't as well rounded as Odette, but they're all lovable. Character interaction is also well done. Generally, I love Suzuki Julietta's storytelling here- she masterfully combines all the above elements into a light, sweet manga that doesn't disappoint. Karakuri Odette is interesting, filled with laughter and character feels. Give it a try!

Starting with the positives: Karakuri Odette is an enjoyable read. The female protagonist is very likable, and is what makes this series truely shine. For the most part, it makes you want to continue reading, and only becomes draggy somewhere in the middle. Nonetheless, Karakuri is a simple, light hearted read. If you are looking for a shoujo with a serious romance (I'd go as far as to say that there is no romance in this series and it's more about Odette and her friends) and solid plot, then I'd suggest avoiding this series. The negatives: My main issue with Karakuri, is obvious lack ofdirection it exhibits. Suzuki Julietta seems to be overly ambitious, and wastes time introducing a vast array of characters and plot lines, without being able to decidedly focus on a few and fully develop them. After promply being introduced, a character/plotline would then disappear from the rest of the manga. She does this consistently throughout the series, to the point where it became increasingly annoying. This is a real shame, because Karakuri is driven by it's cast, and there are a few great characters who had a lot of potential, and could have benefited from more background story development, such as the professor, Chris and Asao. Instead, Suzuki introduces even more characters very late in the story who we don't have time to be invested in. Also the ending was unsatisfactory and didn't tie anything up. In conclusion, Karakuri Odette somehow manages to be entertaining with it's simple story and art. The series seems to have high ambitions, yet fails to fully act on those ambitions. Basically it has a lot of potential to be something greater, yet falls short due it's numerous plot holes and inability to utilize it's characters. Overall I'd give it a 6.5/10.