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昴 -すばる-
123
11
Finished
Dec 13, 1999 to Nov 2, 2002
8.0/10
Average Review Score
80%
Recommend It
5
Reviews Worldwide
I'm amazed there is only one review for this series! It's march break, and i have been going through series like mad, and stumbled on this. And wow, am i ever glad i did! This series made me cry, throw things at the wall and smile, and i enjoyed every minute of it. This is a series with so many messages, i think it should be a must read on everyone's list. Story-9/10. The story is amazing, flows well and draws you in. You get hooked on what will happen next, and it's never what you expect. The only reason it's not a 10/10 is because theending to me seemed very rushes, and i think it could have been drawn out more. Art-8/10. The art was good, though started off very rough in the beginning. It's not particularily to my tastes, but grows on you as you go along. Character-10/10. This is the shining star of the series. The characters, while some of the things they may do are a little unbelievable, their personalities are real. There's no characters where you go, a person like that doesn't exist. Especially Subaru. She's not perfect. She can be selfish, rude, annoying and childish, and i can't hate her for it, because it turns this character, in my mind, into a real person. She has weaknesses, and strengths. The characters in this story are the center of it. Enjoyment-10/10. I loved this series all the way through, and the feelings it invoked in me. A truly enjoyable series. Overall-9/10. Would have been a 10/10 if it wasn't for the ending and art.
A small five-year-old girl named Subaru no longer has time for friends and play. Why is this? Her twin brother Kazuma is dying...and gradually forgetting everything. Even Subaru. And so the girl visits him every day, talking with him and dancing for him, trying to make him remember her. And he always does by the end of the day. Encouraged by a friend to join ballet classes, the girl does so and falls in love with the dance. (Source: Aerie Scans)
A little girl can only communicate to her dying brother through dance. Surprisingly powerful and enjoyable: this is Dance! Subaru. I don’t know why, but I had this preconceived idea about Dance! Subaru. Maybe it was the fact it was a sports seinen, or that it’s cover art appeared to be very old, or even because it was about a girly sport called ‘ballet’. So imagine my surprise after I finished the first chapter: I did not expect it to be like this. It wasn’t just about ballet. It was about artistic expression with the body as a medium. Chapter after chapter, I soon found that Iwasn’t just trudging through it for my own experience --I was hooked. The story begins with a heartbreaking tragedy, showing you that Dance! Subaru is going to be one hell of a ride. The chapters literally fly by; the pacing and plot were just so intriguing! After one mini-arc finishes, there is nothing stopping you from immediately starting the next one. It stays on track, and it has a purpose. This story is about human expression, but it is also about metaphysics and transcending the nature of dance. It was extremely powerful, and in the way it was narrated captured the essence perfectly. This manga isn't going to be about some prodigy Mary-Sue making her way to the top. In fact, Subaru is such an interesting character. She’s a bitch, she’s a narcissist, she’s antisocial... she could even be called arrogant. I wouldn't want to be her friend. In fact, Subaru doesn't even make it to the top in this manga; she only has a purpose: to express all she can through dance, and bring the audience with her into the “other side”. Concerning the support characters: at first, the mangaka scrapped them here and there to advance the story, but I really appreciated it when they were brought back for further development. They never fall into stereotypical cliches. All of them are unique with their own purposes (maybe some admire Subaru, some want to use her, and maybe even some like her --which I doubt, because Subaru isn’t very likable). In this story, the character development of Subaru was the strongest point. The setting in Dance! Subaru isn't static --meaning that it constantly changes. It doesn't really bring the whole story together, but it doesn't weigh it down either. However, during the most important moments (which are on stage) you know exactly where the characters are, and what kind of atmosphere they are in. In fact, the whole atmosphere of Dance! Subaru is nice and airy, probably because of the sketchy lines and big eyes. During it’s more powerful moments, those sketchy lines are exaggerated, hard, thick, and really pronounce the atmosphere. So if you couldn’t notice: the atmosphere of Dance! Subaru is really dependent on it’s setting and art. To sum it all up, Dance! Subaru was a great read with some powerful moments. It’s creativity was extremely high (who has ever read a compelling, palpable ballet manga?) that literally went far beyond all expectations. I would have reached a 9.0, or maybe even higher if it wasn’t for one thing: the ending. While it wasn’t bad (it was actually kind of interesting), it was really sloppy, with no planning whatsoever. It really butchered the greatness this manga achieved, probably the biggest disappointment ever. That brought my final scoring to an 8.0, a fair enough rating for this. You really get absorbed into this story, and like dance, it’s all up to interpretation. If you get absorbed into it too much, you’ll definitely take something with you once it’s finished. ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Let me just start this review right off the bat with the fact that in the first 10 minutes of me reading this manga I was literally in tears sobbing. Now idk if that's cause i'm just an emotional wreck but I think thats still amazing regardless. And I'm seriously not exaggerating when I say I was sobbing. I only got into this after seeing it under suggestions after finishing Glass Mask, and there are definitely similarities. But this manga, unlike Glass Mask, is intense and in a sense really morbid. I would definitely recommend this only for the mature readers. If you'relooking for something with the same vibe as Glass Mask I wouldn't say this is for you. The only thing similar is the irregular talent both mc's have but other than that its a totally different feeling. I was kinda depressed reading this story. I realized as I read further and further that there was something so disconcerting about the main character but I couldn't express it in words. It's kinda weird the vibe I was left with upon reading the last chapter. (But theres a sequal of sorts so I'm going to read that after finishing my review) The overall plot is interesting and as I explained above it made me, the reader, pretty uncomfortable. But I think the ability of the mangaka to draw out my emotions like that is what made me want to read on. The manga is very real. Now I'm not saying the manga's plot is realistic but it's very real in the sense of the characters emotions and their reactions to things. It's very human. The mc is a girl who has many tragic flaws and it's almost as if her life is literally her "destiny." She is going to end up where she ends up and it's futile to change her course. Idk if this is the direction the manga is going to go but the feeling I get after finishing it. Now I wouldn't say this is a masterpiece but I think it was a good read. If you're interest is piqued based on what I've said above I would recommend this!
Despite the expressive art and moments, especially from Subaru, being a little bit too much some times (a personal taste I guess), I adore this manga. Nice character development, many moments to interpret and have long, deep thoughts about ballet and also ART itself, which I have rarely seen from any contemporary, entertaining work. It doesn't mean the casual readers have to be alienated by this because I believe every single character in here is relatable: dream, envy, career, competition... even Subaru herself, being set with a very special condition for her origin, but still executed well enough for us to wonder every time: wherewill this special, passionate dancer with end up with? Oh and I forgot to point out again that this is about ballet. Well, I'm not even fond of dancing, or ballet in real life, but I still like Black Swan (the movie). The same for this manga. The ending is kind of... rushed, for me. There's a sequel so I may try that next time. First time for reviewing but this is my heart for it.
I read this after finishing another ballet manga and it was a good story to pass the time. It of course has its problems like some of Subaru's choices can be repetitive at times but I always wanted to know what she'd do afterwards. The art is nice, it's always a joy to see her dance so passionately, watching her improve her weaknesses are enjoyable. Rivalries are great as they feature someone with a different attitude towards ballet than the main character Subaru. As many other reviews said the ending and the short last arc is pretty weird and bad but the story continues inthe sequel that luckily throws that part away except for how she got to her current position. Would recommend if you are trying to fill that hole after reading/watching show business series.