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I recently discovered a manga published online by a friend of mine (Arcadia is her pen name). The manga's title is Mascara, and it has to be one of the most original manga I've read in a while. The manga's webpage sums up the premise nicely when it says:
As the smartest boy in school and a prodigy, everyone expects Ian to be a high achiever - a future Nobel Prize winning genius. But he doesn't want to be the next Einstein. He just wants to be a makeup artist.
The story is very well writen and filled with great comedy and drama. It centers around the main character Ian, who is living a double life. At school, and pretty much everywhere else, he is a nerdy bookworm. But secretly, he works a part time job as a makeup artist at the mall. In order to accomplish this, he developes a flashy, stylish, sauve, and confident alterego named "Dimitri". The thing is, "Dimitri" is actually more of the person Ian really is underneath his nerdy facade, and he's worried that his neighbor Addison will figure out his secret. See, Ian has had a huge crush on Addison for a while now, but Addison hates makeup, vanity, and "pretty boys". The story really does a great job of building the tension in this situation and keeps you clicking "next page" over and over.
While the art in the beginning of the manga is rather amateur, the story is well writen throughout. The heart of this manga is the characters. All of them are very well developed and believable in their motivations and reactions. Ian's insecurities and attitudes are realistic and make him a very relatable character.
If you like manga or highschool dramedy, check out Mascara. b(^_^)d
(Start at the first page by clicking the link in the top-left corner.)
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Ok, I just spent quite awhile reading this Manga. You are right, it is truly a great story and her art work is improving alot. I see a big difference in it from the first pages till now. I agree with you that Arcadia has touched on very real emotions here and I do like the character of Ian very much so I'm looking forward to following the story as it continues to develop. Thanks again for the link.
Ladyquilt said...
November 1, 2010 at 9:26 PM
PS: Its nice to see a new post by the way...
Ladyquilt said...
November 1, 2010 at 9:27 PM
I haven't read the manga yet, but I'm looking forward to it. It just amused me greatly reading the brief synopsis because it reminded me of MY Ian. Not that he's anywhere near prodigy levels of intelligence (that I know of anyway) but he loves going into my make-up and playing with it. lol
Lady0ftheSith said...
November 5, 2010 at 9:29 AM
Okay completely caught up on the manga now! I really enjoyed reading it! Lately I've been wanting to read but I've been in a bit of a funk. Every time I try to sit down it's like all the words just blend together and I can't focus. This was great though. It was really easy for me to imagine the voices and it was like having an anime play out in my head. Thanks so much for posting it! And if there's any others you could recommend, I'd love it!
Lady0ftheSith said...
November 5, 2010 at 2:08 PM
Hey, I'm glad you're both enjoying Mascara.
@Lady0ftheSith: The only other web comic I follow right now is called No Need for Bushido, and it's kind of an action-comedy, with a little bit of drama. The artwork in it starts out very amateur as well, but has gotten really good in recent pages, and it is pretty funny through out. I should probably forewarn that it can get a little bloody at parts, but nothing really graphic. You can read it at http://www.noneedforbushido.com/
Catalyst said...
November 5, 2010 at 6:58 PM
Just finished part 5, and still got a while to go. So far in what I can say, the story is definitely good. The way the situations are playing out really add to the drama. These "which will you choose" (from how I know to refer to them)scenarios get me thinking about what will happen next, and that tells you it is going to get both more comical and dramatic for Ian and Addison.
I will comment as well on the art work, and this is what I have to say for Arcadia, or anyone just getting into manga. The art in manga is an undeniably important and if-not effective component. The writing though, comes first because otherwise, the result is a flashy exterior with no structure. BTW, I don't write that much. I have my ideas on how something could have been played out, but I am a visual artist. I draw and Imagine.
@Catalyst: Sorry if the comment is more like a speech, that is just what I feel in my heart about the general scope regarding something like Mascara. Your friend is a good writer in my book, and I look forward to following it to the last part.
P.S. Any new pieces you are working on?
Ricardo V. said...
November 8, 2010 at 12:17 AM
I haven't read it yet but the artwork is beautiful!
Siriyah said...
December 27, 2010 at 1:02 PM