My Little Fascination with Manga Comics

Last weekend, I got caught up with two Japanese Manga comics online that had been translated into English. I actually watched the live action dramas before the Manga so I didn't have any expectation when I watched them like how some people would start to make the comparison. I actually enjoyed both much. Of course the Manga comics were more detailed in terms of the storyline and then would answer some questions I had in mind why the said characters were like that or do the things they did. It's actually hard to find the English translated ones but maybe cause of the increase in interest by non Native speakers, there were people who would painstakingly do the translations. But then there is another issue of the websites being dodgy with lewd advertisements that were in your face and I always have this fear they would have malware so better don't take the risk. Sometimes it can be a fruitless effort finding the hidden gem but once I got a hold of it, I would get sucked into reading from start to finish, lol..even though I generally know where the storyline was going since I had already watched the live action.

Usually, the ones I read or watch have a central theme but different yet interesting storylines. The characters can be of older or younger types, forbidden love, school or office settings, or all of the above depending on where the storyline is going, lol. To be honest, many Japanese dramas were a little weird to watch so it would sometimes be a little hard to find those that I can watch without uhm..feeling shocked.

This morning, I made another discovery on Youtube. I watched the entire live action drama and this time, the TV characters were true to the typical Manga comics characters. Like seriously, I was amazed these people exist in real life, haha..like straight out from the books. I don't know if you read them too. I don't quite follow but here's my observation so far in the comics.

This one, is about the boys in high school which is like a boarding school where they stay in the dorms so they have roomies and the school has strict rules to follow. I don't know the name of the Manga but the main characters we have are Saki, Hayami and Misu. There were other secondary characters too that just keep the flow of the storyline going.

Saki was the typical very tall and handsome looking guy with specs and coloured messy tousled hair. Popular among his Juniors and often sought by them, like the guy can't catch a break, lol. But he did entertain them. Then there is Hayami, the main narrator of the drama with his wide eyes, kawaii or cute looks and he was also friendly and people found it easier to get along with, especially when they were just as timid as him. While Saki was the popular one, Hayami was often bullied when he was a junior because he didn't quite get along well with people due to something that happened in his past.

Then my favourite character who turned out to be likeable in the end, haha. Misu, the roomie of Hayami, who was just as tall and handsome as Saki, but my gosh, his cheekbones could cut papers. He was another typical cool guy character in Manga comics books who would come across as the rival in love, sports etc...or appearing aloof like he couldn't care less about other people's feelings and played with them for his own advantage. Here, he was also the Head of the Student Council which other students feared as he followed the school regulations strictly and had neither time nor feelings for people breaking them.

But somehow, he had a soft spot for Hayami, his roomie, which probably was the only one who didn't fear of him like the rest. Though his expressions didn't show it, he knew what was going on in Hayami's life without him knowing. He didn't show he cared for him in a typical manner like aww..what's wrong...but rather, get over it type, when Hayami was very upset over someone whom he had thought had betrayed him. So when the said person wanted to make things right with him, at first he didn't allow to let him enter their room as Hayami was still hurting but later caved in so that they could talk it out.

When things didn't get settled, he actually stepped in using his power as the Head of Student Council to look through a confidential file in office, with permission by the teacher there. And with that, he found out the reason what's the beef between Saki and Hayami which turned out to be just a misunderstanding. 

The thing was that Saki was a formidable opponent and had been voted to play so that he could win for his team. But Saki already had plans with Hayami to visit the latter's late brother's grave to show moral support for him as it was hard for him to do so due to some past he had with the bro that caused a rift with the family. So Hayami felt betrayed as Saki couldn't withdraw from the game once his name was in, even though he didn't choose to participate.

The only way for him to get out was to lose halfway but Saki thought he wouldn't easily lose so that was a no go. But unknown to them, Hayami's aloof roommate, Misu, had hidden skills which he used to his advantage by becoming the secret opponent to make Saki lose in Snooker so that he could catch up with Hayami who was already at the train station.

However, throughout his scheme, he didn't reveal it to either one of them until Saki did lose and he smiled and later told him where to find Hayami.

That was like the most 'awww...' moment done by Misu and in the train, they shared they didn't think Misu would do that knowing his character and finally understood the meaning behind what Misu had been hinting to him on the day of the competition. Saki also didn't know that he had skills at Snookers too like everyone's thinking he was unbeatable. So eventually they did visit the brother's grave and Hayami had forgiven his late brother for his misdeeds against him that caused him to clam up in school. But their friendship, including being a roomie to Misu, gave him hope in life.

The end, lol. This was as good a summary as I can provide. So while I was fascinated by their uncanny resemblance to the comics characters, it was a heartwarming story though some parts, I couldn't link up the timeline like whether it was a flashback or present moment. And I also disagreed with one part of it like it shouldn't have to happen but I guess it's also a typical storyline in Manga comics of this genre. 

No, I'm still not a fan but I can understand why people can be fans of them. The amount of work drawing the characters and the rich sceneries that can be down to details, their conversations in speech bubbles and their thoughts in rectangles. Soon you find yourself reading from cover to cover through all the series because you just want to know what's going on next. And the secondary characters were not mere fillers. They could also have their own storylines or they were weaved into the main characters' storylines, and becoming a catalyst of some sort to get things going.

The things I do to entertain myself during the Circuit Breaker. At least it makes the time pass by a little more bearable.