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A review by the_scribbling_man
Seraphim: 266613336 Wings by Mamoru Oshii, Satoshi Kon
3.0
3.5
Philosophical.
Political.
Pretentious.
These are the three "P"'s we've come to expect from anything Oshi-spawned – and this book doesn't disappoint. It's a complex piece of science fiction layered with religious symbolism and a convoluted plot. All the things that tend to drive me nuts. However, it was very enjoyable. Though, frankly, it's only in the last third that it really starts to get going, which is a shame since the story doesn't actually conclude. This is a majorly posthumus work - I mean, this thing is way less than even half finished. Originally, I assumed that the project didn't go forward because of Satoshi's death, but it turns out this was written way back in the 90s! And all this time the project has remained unfinished due to creative differences and conflict over ownership.
(sigh) Why can't we all just get along? (sigh)
And it's a real shame, because it's only in that last bit you really start to see Satoshi's influence come through in the writing (weird dream sequences).
The concept is really interesting, but the story doesn't really get going until the end of the book. Part of the reason it also takes a while to gain traction is the characters. Visually, you can differentiate between them, but in terms of what they say there's really very little to provide them with any real development. I'm confident though that this could have been a real corker had it been finished.
Well worth the read if you're a fan of either Oshi or Kon, but don't expect to be blown away. The story ends abruptly and without any form of conclusion (unlike Opus), there is however a nice little article/mini-analysis at the back.
Story – 3
Art – 4
Article/Analysis – 3.5
Philosophical.
Political.
Pretentious.
These are the three "P"'s we've come to expect from anything Oshi-spawned – and this book doesn't disappoint. It's a complex piece of science fiction layered with religious symbolism and a convoluted plot. All the things that tend to drive me nuts. However, it was very enjoyable. Though, frankly, it's only in the last third that it really starts to get going, which is a shame since the story doesn't actually conclude. This is a majorly posthumus work - I mean, this thing is way less than even half finished. Originally, I assumed that the project didn't go forward because of Satoshi's death, but it turns out this was written way back in the 90s! And all this time the project has remained unfinished due to creative differences and conflict over ownership.
(sigh) Why can't we all just get along? (sigh)
And it's a real shame, because it's only in that last bit you really start to see Satoshi's influence come through in the writing (weird dream sequences).
The concept is really interesting, but the story doesn't really get going until the end of the book. Part of the reason it also takes a while to gain traction is the characters. Visually, you can differentiate between them, but in terms of what they say there's really very little to provide them with any real development. I'm confident though that this could have been a real corker had it been finished.
Well worth the read if you're a fan of either Oshi or Kon, but don't expect to be blown away. The story ends abruptly and without any form of conclusion (unlike Opus), there is however a nice little article/mini-analysis at the back.
Story – 3
Art – 4
Article/Analysis – 3.5