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 Steam Detectives |
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Steam Detectives Kia Asamiya Reviewed: Animerica Extra Graphic Novel Steam Detectives vol. 4 ISBN 1-56931-674-0 The Steam Detectives is a manga (Japanese comic) by Kia Asamiya. Manga's are often associated with a lot of sex and violence. The Steam Detectives is not a manga like that. It reads as if it is written for ten-year-olds; and there is nothing wrong with that, by the way. The story is set in a very strange place, Steam City, a combination of Victorian London and Tokyo, added with some "film noir" style and modern devices. The only thing really steampunk about it is Goriki: a huge, strong steam powered robot with a human brain inside. So apart from the atmosphere and Goriki, there is not much to find her for the steampunk public. And for a story that has to thrive on atmosphere to make it steampunk, the black-and-white artwork is way too clean and modern to get really into it all for my European steam punk taste -and is not that "film noir" or Victorian either. So it is basically down to some props that should add to the steampunk feeling: top hats, the Big Ben, a gothic castle, drinking tea, a butler... On the other hand side, I never seen another steampunk manga. The texts are typical manga and do not remind of any cultivated, civilised, British style of speaking that so often is found in steampunk. I found the style rather screaming, yelling, too quick and over the top. The stories in this volume have nothing really steampunkish in it. They are rather straight-forward detective stories, and why it is called steam detectives is not quite clear. Besides, the plots are a bit too easy, with a sudden solution you could not figure out yourself, not even upon close reading, that, or something you must have guessed miles ahead. Goriki, the robot, is not an interesting character at all. He has a human brain, the brain of Ling Ling the nurse's father Dr. Hsu, who has made Goriki. However, the robot does not appear to be very smart, and is in these stories only put in the plot to help out with his enormous strength. There is no friction or conflict in the story regarding Goriki's state of being. He just turns up if his help is needed. Even if they advertise as steampunk, I don't think it deserves the name. Which does not mean it is not a good manga, and you might enjoy it if you are not looking for steampunk. Maybe the other volumes are better, but I won't pay 15.95 USD for it. © Yaghish 2003 |
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