Double the drama
Saturday
Mar 27, 2010
YUKI YUKI
Story and art: Ageha
Publisher: Gala Unggul; 128 pages
(ISBN: 978-9675288012)
For all ages
WHEN I first read the premise of this manga, I rolled my eyes: A romantic drama about a pair of twins and a guy. How corny is that? I anticipated all the usual plots and twists but Yuki Yuki surprised me in the end. It manages to incorporate what I would expect from a story with twins in it, like mistaken identity, opposite personalities, and a love triangle, without overdoing it.
The story begins with Joe, a vacationing college student, and his misguided attempt to rescue Yukiko, whom he thinks is about to commit suicide. after a thorough beat down and a stern talking to by Yukiko, Joe develops a fear of her.
This is where it gets crazy. Yukiko and Miyuki not only attend Joes college but they also live in his neighbourhood and ride the same bus. and yet the manga expects me to believe that they have never met before?
It turns out that they actually have. When they were five, Joe, Miyuki, and Yuki had a sweet encounter at a department store. Conveniently, Joe, now 19, seems to have forgotten all about it.
What follows is what you would expect: Joe and the twins get to know each other better and start to fall for each other. However, this takes up about half the manga which is a bit too much time considering how short the manga is and is as obvious as a brick to the head.
This manga needs a lesson in subtlety. Case in point: in a scene where Yukiko sprains her ankle palm to forehead Joe thinks: Doesnt look like she can walk back.
But Yuki Yuki does pick up near the end with an interesting, though not totally unexpected, turn. It makes up for most of the problems I have with this manga. All except its pretentiousness. From its character design to its dialogue, this manga feels as if it was told by someone who really wants to have been born a Westerner.
It is not a complaint against Ageha but his narrative. I understand that it may have been done to achieve a broader appeal, but at what cost?
Overall, this manga will appeal to drama junkies. It has flaws but the ending more than makes up for most of those.
(Rating: 3)
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