Comments on: Red Colored Elegy by Seiichi Hayashi

By: Madinkbeard » A Drifting Life by Yoshihiro Tatsumi

Madinkbeard » A Drifting Life by Yoshihiro Tatsumi — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:03:28 +0000

[...] would be much appreciated. I’ve had this issue with previous D&Q manga releases (like Red Colored Elegy), where more notes and introductory materials would help fit the work into some context. I would [...]

By: DerikB

DerikB — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:45:51 +0000

Thanks, Hototogisu! That manga was one where there seemed to be need for more context (note) to really “get” it all.

By: Hototogisu

Hototogisu — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:01:15 +0000

Interesting article I found by chance, I just want to help uncover the meaning about the opening panel with the ‘migrant bird’, my memory is very hazy but I’m think ‘migrant bird’ was the nickname of the protagonist in a series of films that were popular among Japanese youth in the late 50s/early 60s. I think his name was Akira Kobayashi but I’m not sure if that was someone else.

Either I think Ichiro wishes to be like this migrant bird, wandering the lands, dealing out justice and defending the oppressed, a real free spirit, but the reality is crushing and the closest he can get to such a sensation is drawing such characters in manga. And obviously this can be seen as a wider societal/political metaphor for the time, connecting his own existential stagnation with the dying flame of the student movement of the period.

Though I think most people would interpret it in the same way without the knowledge of who the ‘migrant bird’ was.

By: Madinkbeard » Best Comics of 2008

Madinkbeard » Best Comics of 2008 — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:21:44 +0000

[...] Excavating Manga History pick: Hayashi, Seiichi. Red-Colored Elegy (Drawn & Quarterly): The way this comic unfolds narratively fascinated me. Hayashi leaves plenty of room for thought and interpretation. I go on at length here. [...]

By: DerikB

DerikB — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:15:05 +0000

Thanks, Bill! Your review made sure I started off paying attention to this book. Thank for the links, I’ll have to go through some of those and see what else I can learn about the book.

I am pleasantly surprised to note that the Wikipedia entry on mono no aware not only mentions Ozu, but the creators of two of my favorite manga: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou and Aria. Maybe I’ll have to check out Emma now too.

By: Bill Randall

Bill Randall — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:34:16 +0000

Derik, very fine review. I think your keen formal eye's well suited to this book. And I hadn't connected the star motif to Disney's "When You Wish Upon a Star" before. I've read enough muddled reviews online that it's clear D&Q should have included an introduction. And thank you for mentioning my essay; I'd add, for completeness' sake, that I have a couple of posts with my online sources, including links to the theme song, which is on YouTube. Every book needs a song! (Also, I'm not sure about the lizard, but the cherry blossoms are the national mono no aware cliche, used so much they transcend cliche.)