To be entirely honest I am not familiar with this title.
I never saw the Anime, I never read the novels (not even Boogiepop & Others which is the basis of this two volume manga), but this is about as good a time as any to check this title out for a first timer like me.
So for this week and next let’s take a look at Boogiepop Doesn’t Laugh, from Seven Seas.
The whole thing of Shinigami have been getting abit of a go lately, hasn’t it. What with their appearing in Full Moon O Sagashite and recently in Koge-Donbo’s dark comedy one shot Yoki Koto Kiku. In this book, in this series, there is an urban legend that tells of a shinigami that can “release people from the pain they are suffering”. That gets shown rather well as the story starts, and Takeda laments about Boogiepop in the aftermath of what I guess was the Boogiepop Anime series.
The world is full of flaws, that’s what Boogiepop said once.
And it shows when Takeda runs into the sight of a poor downtrodden man crying what looks like blood (or he just got a curiously drawn face that seems to look like blood is flowing down it), who is comforted by the newly arrived Boogiepop who has to fend off troublesome cops before vanishing.
Soon Takeda finds himself drawn to the enigma of Boogiepop, who he later finds out is presently working in a “co-op” arraignment bodywise with Takeda’s girlfriend (I guess) Touka which leads to lots of soul searching (like the soul searching I did on the existence of Boogiepop. Is Boogiepop a figment of Touka‘s troubled mind or an actual entity, why does Boogiepop exist past what is said in the series and will there ever be a time when there will be no need for a Boogiepop, if he falls in love with a female character in the series does that technically make him a lesbian… ok, maybe not the last one), and lots of dialogue between the two… oh, and word that there’s a devil hiding in the school Takeda/Touka (with the sad sad name of “Manticore”) are going to which is why Boogiepop has come out in the first place. But even when the “situation” is resolved… it isn’t… well, it IS but not until the end of Volume 2 since the story seems to leap about a lot timeline wise.
But this is just the start of a most intriguing, most intense, most dark yet most promising read.
After reading through all this through I don’t think I’ll be able to absorb the Anime, truth is I have a hard enough time with the manga version of the novel Boogiepop and Others (and as you can see I most certainly didn‘t get all the nuances of the two volumes down pat), but this is a damn solid read which includes a nice extra section which has (yes) part 1 of a two part “ultimate guide” to the Boogiepop franchise (if you wanted to know more). Let’s break this down.
Boogiepop Soda Bubbles… the 1st?
What’s Hot?
Yeah, I totally missed out on the Anime and all that (don’t have the budget to invest in it now either since I have so many other things to review), but reading this was still good and for the most part I actually grasped it (a new surprise for me personally). If you are looking for an interesting engaging read that will really get you motivated to read (and you are of the Older Teen +16 and older set) then you will be checking this out.
What’s Not?
No, no, I didn’t need to have the entire series just to enjoy reading this, and you shouldn’t have to have seen most of the series either in order to find enjoyment in this book (though I guess it would be of a great assistance to those of us (myself) who could use more 4-1-1 on the whole Boogiepop thing).
However don’t let that chase you away from this one. Dark, engaging, intriguing, good read, it is solid of a read worth checking out if you are looking for an intense read.
Moments to Remember?
(Looks at book)… I‘m just glad I enjoyed it without having to deeply psychoanalyze it… uh… (looks at book again)… it‘s a solidly written, nicely drawn, fine piece of literature for it‘s pacing, content, and… well… even I, who have little to zero experience with the Boogiepop franchise, can get into it and read it without a ton of backknowledge of the series or hours and hours of homework on the series. Isn‘t that enough of a memorable thing? I know, I know, I could use more so I would sound like a more intelligent voice of opinion on the title but… it’s still good for those of us who want our first sojourn into the franchise without investing too much bling bling money into the experience at the first taste stage.
What to Ignore?
That I didn’t give this a 5 out of 5 (now that I‘m finally over my not scoring phase).
Why--? Uh… it’s just me. I don’t know but I guess it could have been a little more to have gotten perfection, but a near perfect score is just as good as the perfect 5 isn’t it?
Overall?
Not quite perfection, but a little notch below perfection is where this title sits. Next review cycle we wrap up the review and check Volume 2... And I think there might be more coming too, mind you. I think upcoming September’s Boogiepop Returns Vs. Imaginator might be a manga version, but I’ll have to do my homework on it. Well, near perfect is good enough for me to say that you should make plans to check this out.
Be you a fan of Boogiepop, or a newbie like me, you’ll find something worthwhile in checking this most mature of reading materials out. Kudos to Seven Seas, by the way, for bringing this out in English (bravo).
4 point 5 (4.5) out of 5
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