Title: Shinobi Life
Mangaka: Shoko Conami
Length: 13 Volumes (Complete)
Available in English? Yes, but only up to Volume 7.
Demographic: Shoujo
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/Drama/Action
How did I hear about it? It came highly recommended by my friend.
Kagetora is a ninja from the Edo period and the loyal guardian of Beni-hime. After they are separated by an explosion during an attack, he falls into a lake and into the future, just in time to accidentally foil the plans of 17-year-old Beni Fujiwara's would-be kidnappers in modern-day Japan. Kagetora mistakes Beni for his princess and seems to think that the present world he is seeing is some sort of illusion brought about by the enemy. Thus begins the story of Beni and her ninja boy.
Does that synapsis sound cheesy? Good, 'cause it is. Fortunately, the story expands far beyond its gimmicky premise.
I'll start with the art. I've often heard Conami-sensei's art described as "unimpressive." I feel just the opposite though. For whatever reasons, it really appeals to me. Her art is simple, with less screentone and shading than has become common these days. Her lines are angular and jagged, but somehow manage to retain their elegance. My one complaint is that there isn't really a lot of background detail. If you're gonna set some of your story in the Edo period, then dress it up! Show us what your Edo looks like! But alas, all we got was a bunch of trees. She depicts actions very well though. This manga had quite a bit of fighting in it, and it certainly didn't feel stagnant, as some manga action scenes tend to do.
 |
| Okay, so there's screentone here, but look at the empty background! |
Shinobi Life begins as your average shoujo romantic comedy with its trusty gimmick. Our modern-day girl has her sexy ninja boyfriend, and we get to laugh as we watch Kagetora stumble through modern society. Nyuk nyuk nyuk! If that's all this manga was, I wouldn't have even bothered with it. Don't worry, it gets better. A lot better.
More names are added to the cast, and it is discovered how one slips back and forth between the present and Kagetora's era. With this, complicated character relationships are created, and twisty-turny, time-travelling manga is formed. Any story that involves time travel is bound to be a tricky subject. Conami tackles it with poise and a great deal of thought. Is it perfect? No. But you can tell she put a hell of a lot of thought into this. She creates several sub-plots, yet they all flow together like tributaries into a river. Let me give you a glance at what all we have going on here.
1. The romance between Beni and Kagetora. After he learns that she is not his Beni-hime, he has to begin the process of getting to know her as a completely different person. Meanwhile, Beni must battle through her constant self-doubt. Does he love her? Or is he just projecting his forbidden love for Beni-hime? As they feel each other out, they must also endure the father's strong disapproval of their relationship.
2. Rihito's relationship with this parents. Rihito is Beni's fiance, arranged via her father. While his connection to Beni is important throughout the manga, where his character really shines is in the development of his past. We see the situation he has endured since childhood, and I was drawn in, eager to see how he would resolve his homelife.
3. Hitaki's rivalry with Kagetora. Hitaki is also a ninja from the Kagetora's clan. We first meet him in the past, and at first he seems only to want to kill Kagetora for being a rogue ninja. However, as we flit between past and present and see both the 14-year-old Hitaki and the present one, we learn that there is a much deeper reason for his loathing of Kagetora.
4. The spy in the ninja clan. As Beni lives with Kagetora's clan in the past (dammit, I can't think of the clan name. Inui? Something like that...), she learns that there has been a series of strange murders that could only have been committed from the inside. As this plot unfolds, it holds deep ramifications for one of our main characters.
5. The death of Beni's mother. Beni has always been told that her mother's death years ago was an accident, but as we travel to different time areas, the people closest to Beni discover the truth of the circumstances surrounding her death.
All of that sounds like various sub-plots that may have little to do with each other. I feel that many mangaka out there might have formed their manga into an arc-based shape, tackling one topic at a time. The wonderful thing about Shinobi Life is that ALL of those plots tie together. A new development in any of those plots affects all of the others. The way they're woven together shows how much thought and effort Conami put into this manga in order to help it go above and beyond your average shoujo. In fact, Kagetora and Beni end up separated from each other for a sizable chunk of the series. Usually when this happens in a romance manga, the plot dries up, and the reader gets bored. Not the case here. There's always something going on. I never felt bored at all.
I will say that the final chapter was somewhat disappointing though. After everything the manga takes you through, the last chapter feels like an ending to a different kind of manga. It's the ending to the quirky romantic comedy that this manga would have been if not for all of its, you know...substance. I would have preferred something a little more meaningful.
 |
| That's one beautiful blood spray. |
If you're looking for a shoujo series to tickle your fluttering heart, then look no further. This manga has a high romance factor with plenty of steamy scenes. However, if you're looking for something that offers much more than steamy romance, then you've found it here, too. This manga has high drama and a surprisingly high action level, too. I can't recommend this series enough.
5 stars! (I'm on a different computer, so I'll have to go fish out my stars' images again. Too lazy to do it right now though)
No comments:
Post a Comment