Post by crowhats on Feb 19, 2012 21:50:54 GMT -5
After School Nightmare is one of the most unusual romance manga’s I have ever read. It combines the interesting concepts of finding the sexual identity, romance, and surrealist dreams into a single story. It took me awhile to decide to review this title, due to the rarity of this work, and the fact that this work has been reviewed by other great reviewers. I wanted to be sure I had something interesting to say about it, and that I could write a creditable review for this title before I decided to do it. Due to the many elements within this work, however I found that this title does have a lot of things to comment on, and I feel that it is worthwhile for me to give my own point of view for this reason.
The art for After School Nightmare is pretty unusual. It has an odd dreamlike quality to it that really drew me in as a reader. Even in the supposedly normal world things are just slightly strange, and has a odd off putting quality. The art really shines though in the dream world, where it really can be odd and disturbing. The setting does a good job at personifying the casts through the use of the environment. The character designs for After School Nightmare are different from most works, and resemble a odd mix of Yaoi and shojo like styles. For some (like myself) this style will be interesting and new, though others might not so enthusiastic about the style of art used. The art as a whole is very competent, but isn’t one of my main reasons for enjoying this work.
Where this work really gets interesting is the story, which is filled with a great complexity. This work stars the intersexual character Ichijo Mashiro. Ichijo’s top half is male, but the lower part of his/her body is female. (S)he considers him/herself to be male at the beginning of the series, however Ichijo becomes more troubled about the confusion caused by her/his body as the story progresses. Ichijo is at first weirded out when suddenly (s)he gets advances from the kendo’s club womanizer Sou. At the same time Ichijo is also courted by Kureha, a girl who is normally afraid of most men. Ichijo most sort out both feeling his/her feelings of love, as well as her/his gender identity. This is merely half of the story, however with the other important element being the dream world.
Ichijo is part a special class which is focused upon solving special problems, and is lead by the school’s mysterious nurse. In this class Ichijo, and a group of other students enter a dream world, and take on a forms representing their inners selves. Ichijo’s form is rather straight forward and only differs in that (s)he is sometimes wearing a male or female uniform, and is sometimes accompanied pair of swords. Other students have bodies that are much odder, and representative their own set of problems. Some people appear without a face, others as objects, and others take on costumes based upon mental states.
The dreams they take part in are symbolic in nature, and each person in the dream is supposed to be reaching for inner change, and a chance to mysterious graduate from this dream world and the school. Each person in the dream world has a necklace with a set of large beads (usually in sets of three), with each bead being part of the dreamers heart. Each dreamer is searching for the student which has the special key within them. This key unlocks the doors that lead to the mysterious graduation, which is said to grant a wish. In this dream world characters often encounter their inner selves, and most face their inner demons to succeed.
I love the complexity of the plot, especially within the dream sequences. Like Revolutionary Girl Utena this work is rife with creative and thought provoking symbolism. The other interesting aspect of the dream sequences is analyzing how they are going to effect the mundane world, and the characters inner thoughts. The romance elements usually also are touching, but sometimes they venture into the over the top realm. The relationships between the characters are generally complex and believable, but sometimes the romantic elements do feel like they are forced. The other possible problem with the romantic aspects is that it unclear exactly what audience for this work is. With a story like this though it really is impossible to say there is a single target audience in mind. This story is outstandingly original, and I was easily hooked with the idea of combining a work based on a intersexual lead finding him/herself, with romance, and surrealist dreams.
What really makes this work stand out are the character’s personalities inner selves. Each character has an inner problem they are trying to solve, and a real reason for existing within the story. While certain characters are merely short term characters, the leading cast develops complex personalities. Ichijo is a extremely well written character, because (s)he is always in inner conflict up until the last volume. Ichijo has a long difficult journey on the road to even self acceptance, and is unsure about who (s)he really is and wants to be. While Ichijo begins the series trying to give off an air of self confidence, but the fact that (s)he is so easily shaken (especially within the dreams) revealing a inner doubt. Occasionally Ichijo will be split into a male and female half during the dreams, and has to battle his/her inner self more directly. This uncertainty also has a painful effect on those around her/him.
Sou is a very odd, and complex character as well, though most of his inner development comes toward the end of the manga. Sou appears in the dream world to be the black knight (though it is awhile before Ichijo can confirm this or not), hiding his inner feelings behind a suit of armor. He see Ichijo as a woman, and constantly getting close to Ichijo (much to his/her initial dismay). It is unclear at least in the beginning why he is so interested Ichijo, and Ichijo tries to prove to him that (s)he is undoubtedly male. Sou’s sister is also a very unusual character, and is immensely loving of her younger brother. She appears in the dream world as a young girl in Gothic Lolita style clothing holding a teddy bear. It is awhile before Ichijo actually meets her outside of the dream world, and her presence is a major mystery of the work.
The next of the major characters is Ichijo other love interest, Kureha Fujishima. Kureha is afraid of most men after being raped at a young age while returning from school on a rainy day. This trauma causes her dream form to be covered by a rain coat, and her head to be hidden under a hood. Due to Ichijo body, and Ichijo’s protective nature she falls in love with him. Ichijo doubt’s and body, though start to cause problems in their relationship. She is normally cheery and is outwardly kind, within she is often spiteful of those she distrusts, and is quick to become upset. The final important character is the model Kendo coach Koichiro Kurosaki, who for awhile is mainly their to for Ichijo to confide in. Within he carries a more dark, resentful, and anger personality that he is hiding, and his dream form is not revealed till much later in the story. There are a number of other more minor characters that exist in the book including the nurse that runs the dream program, and a number of other complex and troubled dreamers. The details and angst of the cast can sometimes be a bit excessive, usually though the complexity of the cast is extremely impressive and feels believable.
After School Nightmare is a very unusual, but rewarding story. The art is impressive, but it is the unusual story, and complex cast inhabiting that story that makes it stand out. Ichijo’s struggles are very interesting, and alone would have made for a great work. When combined with the problems of the other students within a surreal dreamworld, you are left with one of the most creative manga series. I would definitely recommend this book, though its odd thematic content might not be right for everyone. The biggest problem with this series is that it is currently extremely hard to find since it’s publisher went out of business. If you can find this series however, it is well worth picking up and giving a go.