- Crossroad (manga)
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Crossroad
Cover of Crossroad volume 7 as published by Go! Comi, showing Kajitsu (above) and Natsuクロスロード
(Kurosurōdo)Genre Romantic comedy Manga Written by Shioko Mizuki Published by Akita Shoten English publisher Go! Comi Demographic Shōjo Magazine Princess Original run 2003 – 2005 Volumes 7 Crossroad (クロスロード Kurosurōdo ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shioko Mizuki. It was serialized by Akita Shoten in the shōjo manga magazine Princess from 2003 to 2005 and collected in five bound volumes. It is licensed in North America by Go! Comi and in France by Taifu Comics.[1][2] It is about a teenage girl, Kajitsu, who after her grandmother dies ends up living with her two stepbrothers and younger stepsister, all unrelated to each other.
Contents
Manga
Akita Shoten released the seven tankōbon volumes of the manga between June 12, 2003 and December 16, 2005.[3][4] Go! Comi released the manga's seven volumes between November 1, 2005 and May 30, 2007.[5][6]
No. Japan North America Release date ISBN Release date ISBN 1 June 12, 2003[3] ISBN 4-253-19291-2 November 1, 2005[5] ISBN 0-9768957-2-2 2 December 11, 2003[7] ISBN 4-253-19292-0 February 1, 2006[8] ISBN 0-9768957-6-5 3 May 20, 2004[9] ISBN 4-253-19293-9 May 1, 2006[10] ISBN 1-933617-00-4 4 November 4, 2004[11] ISBN 4-253-19294-7 August 30, 2006[12] ISBN 1-933617-04-7 5 March 16, 2005[13] ISBN 4-253-19295-5 January 30, 2007[14] ISBN 1-933617-10-1 6 August 16, 2005[15] ISBN 4-253-19296-3 April 30, 2007 ISBN 1-933617-11-4 7 December 16, 2005[4] ISBN 4-253-19297-1 May 30, 2007[6] ISBN 1-933617-28-2 Reception
The storyline has been described as "unique" by IGN,[16] and by Mania.com as a storyline of "delicious complications"[10] that does "a fantastic job illustrating the wreckage that is youth".[14] Mania.com's Julie Rosato described herself to have been "engulfed" by the characters and their story since the first volume, and considers the series to have a good balance between comedy and drama.[5] Rosato enjoyed the pacing of the second volume, finding it unusual that Kajitsu's teacher doesn't mind that Kajitsu has a crush on him.[8] The fourth volume includes a story where Taro supports his ailing birth mother, and Rosato says "touching to see their affections take root and hold on so fiercely" despite the tenuous nature of the family's existence.[12] In the sixth volume, Rosato criticises the manga artist for being "too attached to certain characters to let them go properly" as shown in "the return to school after summer vacation".[17] On the fourth volume, Rosato comments that "the narrative wasn't as clear as it could have been, and maybe not all of the characters met their full potential, but there's a lot going on underneath the surface."[18] Manga Life's Brigid Alverson comments on the first volume that "the mood is a bit uneven, alternating between cartoony [chibi] violence and pensive moments, but the story never bogs down."[19] Nicolas Demay of Planete BD comments the manga for its tone "while sometimes moving stay light without giving into the excess of pathos". He also comment that "the author wanted to dedicated herself in her vision of the heroine."[20] Planete BD's Faustine Lillaz review of the second volume commends the manga for its "minimalist" art, saying "the arts are of good quality: the cutting and the directing are well done, the trait is fine & precise and the screentone is abundant. (even if often a bit crude)."[21] A review of the third volume by Lillaz commends the manga for the rendering of Kajitsu's feelings.[22] Lillaz's review of the fourth volume criticises the manga for its slow pacing but commends the manga for its "expressive" characters and its "cutting is rather dynamic and the trait is rather precise."[23] A review of the fifth volume by Lillaz commends the regular comedy to "alleviate the atmosphere".[24] Lillaz comments on the use of fan service in volume six.[25] Lillaz's review of volume seven commends "the narration [which] is perfectly mastered and thus the story conveys the feelings with sensibility and pudor.[26]
References
- ^ "Crossroad - Volume 1". Go! Comi. Archived from the original on October 30, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071030045459/www.gocomi.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=1_3&products_id=9. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ "Crossroad" (in French). Manga News. http://www.manga-news.com/index.php/serie/Crossroad. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ a b "crossroad 第1巻" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. http://www.akitashoten.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?key=search&isbn=192912. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ a b "crossroad 第7巻" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. http://www.akitashoten.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?key=search&isbn=192971. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ a b c Rosato, Julie (November 2, 2005). "Crossroad Vol. #01". Mania.com. http://www.mania.com/crossroad-vol-01_article_82407.html. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
- ^ a b "Crossroad Volume 7 (v. 7) (Paperback)". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933617284/. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ "crossroad 第2巻" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. http://www.akitashoten.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?key=search&isbn=192920. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ a b Rosato, Julie (May 24, 2006). "Crossroad Vol. #02". Mania.com. http://www.mania.com/crossroad-vol-02_article_82930.html. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
- ^ "crossroad 第3巻" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. http://www.akitashoten.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?key=search&isbn=192939. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ a b Rosato, Julie (April 25, 2007). "Crossroad Vol. #03". Mania.com. http://www.mania.com/crossroad-vol-03_article_83182.html. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
- ^ "crossroad 第4巻" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. http://www.akitashoten.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?key=search&isbn=192947. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ a b Rosato, Julie (May 2, 2007). "Crossroad Vol. #04". Mania.com. http://www.mania.com/crossroad-vol-04_article_82849.html. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
- ^ "crossroad 第5巻" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. http://www.akitashoten.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?key=search&isbn=192955. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ a b Rosato, Julie (May 9, 2007). "Crossroad Vol. #05". Mania.com. http://www.mania.com/crossroad-vol-05_article_83053.html. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
- ^ "crossroad 第6巻" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. http://www.akitashoten.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?key=search&isbn=192963. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- ^ Chobot, Jessica (November 15, 2005). "Crossroad Vol. 1 Review". IGN. http://comics.ign.com/articles/666/666608p1.html. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
- ^ Rosato, Julie (May 16, 2007). "Crossroad Vol. #06". Mania.com. http://www.mania.com/crossroad-vol-06_article_83052.html. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
- ^ Rosato, Julie (June 6, 2007). "Crossroad Vol. #07". Mania.com. http://www.mania.com/crossroad-vol-07_article_83433.html. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
- ^ Alverson, Brigid (c. March 2006 1 2). "Crossroad v1". Manga Life. Archived from the original on May 17, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060517164807/www.mangalife.com/reviews/Crossroadv1.htm. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ Demay, Nicolas (July 2008). "Crossroad, t.1" (in French). Planete BD. http://www.planetebd.com/BD/manga-Crossroad-5949.html. Retrieved 4 December 2009. ""Bien que le sujet soit grave, le ton, bien que parfois émouvant, reste léger, sans donner dans le pathos à outrance et l'on sent que l'auteur veut se consacrer à la vision de son héroïne." (Even if the subject is serious, the tone while sometimes moving stay light without giving into the excess of pathos and we feel that the author wanted to dedicated herself in her vision of the heroine.)"
- ^ Lillaz, Faustine (September 2008). "Crossroad, t.2" (in French). Planete BD. http://www.planetebd.com/BD/manga-Crossroad-6255.html. Retrieved 4 December 2009. ""A part des décors un peu trop minimalistes, les dessins se montrent de bonne facture : le découpage et la mise en scène sont soignés, le trait est fin et précis et le tramage est abondant (même s'il est souvent un peu grossier)." (Although a bit minimalist, the arts are of good quality: the cutting and the directing are well done, the trait is fine & precise and the screentone is abundant. (even if often a bit crude)."
- ^ Lillaz, Faustine (November 2008). "Crossroad, t.3". Planete BD. http://www.planetebd.com/BD/manga-Crossroad-6527.html. Retrieved 4 December 2009. ""La demoiselle ne sait plus vraiment où elle en est et l'expression de ses sentiments est très bien rendue." ([Kajitsu] doesn't know anymore where she is and the expression of her feelings are very well rendered.)"
- ^ Lillaz, Faustine (January 2009). "Crossroad, t.4". Planete BD. http://www.planetebd.com/BD/manga-Crossroad-7269.html. Retrieved 4 December 2009. ""L'histoire n'avance pas très vite dans ce quatrième volume." (the story doesn't go quickly forward in this fourth volume.) "Néanmoins, les personnages sont expressifs, le découpage se montre relativement dynamique et le trait est assez précis." (Despite this, the characters are expressive, the cutting is rather dynamic and the trait is rather precise.)"
- ^ Lillaz, Faustine (April 2009). "Crossroad, t.5". Planete BD. http://www.planetebd.com/BD/manga-Crossroad-7782.html. Retrieved 4 December 2009. ""L'humour venant régulièrement détendre l'atmosphère et ainsi offrir une lecture captivante" (The comedy coming regularly to alleviate the atmosphere and thus offering a captivating read)"
- ^ Lillaz, Faustine (May 2009). "Crossroad, t.6". Planete BD. http://www.planetebd.com/BD/manga-Crossroad-7890.html. Retrieved 4 December 2009. ""Les graphismes, quant à eux, sont en revanche moyens mais s'avèrent tout de même corrects, avec une petite touche de fan-service un peu étonnante pour ce titre." (The graphism are however average but are still corrects with a small touch of fan service, a bit surprising for this title.)"
- ^ Lillaz, Faustine (August 2009). "Crossroad, t.7". Planete BD. http://www.planetebd.com/BD/manga-Crossroad-8842.html. Retrieved 4 December 2009. ""La narration est parfaitement maîtrisée et, de ce fait, le récit fait passer les émotions avec sensibilité et pudeur" (The narration is perfectly mastered and thus the story conveys the feelings with sensibility and pudor)"
External links
- Crossroad (manga) (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Vol. 1 review Manga News.com (French)
- Vol. 2 review Manga News.com (French)
- Vol. 4 review Manga News.com (French)
- Vol. 5 review Manga News.com (French)
Categories:- Manga series
- Romantic comedy anime and manga
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