2/9/2024 0 Comments Anime bee artYet the main character is a bit too predictable and saccharine, and the relationships between the mains are conflict-free, all forces of attraction - the few promises of potentially interesting disagreement are quickly stiffled, which, in my opinion, makes the interactions a bit too bland. Side-characters are mostly enjoyable and well-rounded. Their work makes them see a lot of people, so at times the manga resembles a procedural. I must give it to the manga, that it’s nice to see a low-key environment for a change: Bees are technically post officers, not superheroes. I can’t say that I dig the main cast too much. And she is immersion-breaking even when dressed. And there’re some distasteful things, like the sexualization of the aide of the main character, who looks like a loli and usually jumps around without pants for a comedic relief. But the battles are not exactly readable or tense as a result. Secondly, fighting in Tegami Bachi is also done with heart bullets, and the side effect of any shot is a leak of heart, when people see each other’s memories and feelings. It’s all plot-related and world-motivated, tearjerkers are perfectly effective (I did cry a bit, tho, probably, my age makes me sentimental), yet I feel the need to warn you about attempts to exploit your empathy. Firstly, Tegami Bachi is full of crying, speeches about heart and tearjerker moments. Three things about Tegami Bachi should be pointed out for the sake of potential readers: The better parts are the landscapes, Bee uniforms and gear, the more boring are the enemies (bugs are bugs), the characters are a mixed bag, everyone looks way too sweet and somewhat similar. I didn’t think it’d click with me, yet, as it turns out, it flows surprisingly well and there are plenty of gorgeous panels. The world is also memorable visually, considering the atypical lighting, postapocalyptic “moonscapes”, star symbolism and occasional bold fairytale-like designs. That’s what I mean when I talk about consistency - everything of importance is heart-related: letters contain heart, Bees deliver letters, use heart to fight, monsters want heart, etc. Heart is basically the most important source of energy in their world. It’s not that dark fantasy can rule unchallenged in the world of Tegami Bachi: after all it has its own metaphysics, centered around “heart”, including the human one. These two currents sort of clash – when deaths of comrades are quickly downplayed, sort of compliment each other – when it’s easy to see why a bit of kindness would be valuable in a world like theirs. Not that this dichotomy isn’t underlined by the author himself: the older more jaded cast does create their own plan to save the world and it’s, er, peculiar. friends, dreams and heart moments, and then there’s the bleak world with secrets so messed up, that it probably wouldn’t even work in a more serious interpretation, everybody would have been already dead. With Tegami Bachi this exercise yields unusual results – this manga doesn’t have a middle ground, there’s the plot, centered around the main 12 y.o. When I read more traditional shounen, I tend to take notes of mature details and to imagine what a seinen built around them would’ve been like. It’s a bit slow at the beginning and rushed at the end, but both of these things do not matter much, since you’ll solve the main mystery much earlier than the characters, and what makes this manga worth reading is the world – unusual, intriguing, yet consistent.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |