Anime & Manga Class Blog

         I read Cigarette Girl for this week's manga and I really enjoyed it. I normally don't gravitate towards slice of life anime or manga except for certain ones. However, I did enjoy this story. One thing I noticed right off the bat is how unique the art style is in this manga. The characters are simplified but the environments are super detailed. Having such a dramatic style difference surprisingly works really well in such a simple comic. Another thing I really liked in this particular manga is the small easter egg mask of Astro Boy. It was a nice detail added especially because it stood out from the rest of the manga's art style.

One thing I noticed right away about this manga is that it isn't the traditional type of manga/anime style we know of today. The faces and art styles, in general, are more realistic in nature and have few exaggerated features. Another major difference is the text is read right to left instead of the usual left to right. This specific manga also plays with the element of box shapes. When the scene is frantic the boxes become less symmetrical, however, when characters are simply talking or the scene is being set, the boxes are the usual square format. Already in the first chapter, it's set up that Jiro's pa is disappointed that he didn't die for his country. The rest of his family are eager to see him return, but his father is the only one refusing to greet him. It's also very clear that the new addition to the family, Ayako is the favorite. As shown by right after Jiro is rejected by his father, Ayako comes into the room and is hugged. Showing this is an example t...