Jun 19, 2010
Manga review of Happy
Mania Volume 4 by Moyoco Anno. Translated by Shirley Kubo. Adapted
by Leah Ginsberg. Originally published in Japan by Shodensha.
Published in US by Tokyopop, $9.99, Rated Mature 18+.
Kayoko Shigeta has been dumped by her latest screw buddy, but is
anybody really surprised? Goro, the ceramic artist she liked, has
taken off for China, leaving Shigeta in a depression. Well, she
always has Takahashi to fall back on...but wait, she catches him in
her apartment about to have sex with a former university classmate.
And then he has the nerve to ask Shigeta to marry him? It's a
pretty crazy situation, but that's usually how it is around this
girl. Adding to the chaos is the fact that Kayoko is 4 months
behind on her rent, her phone and electricity has been cut off, and
she's also lost her job! There's only one thing that can solve all
of these problems. That's right, it's time for her to fall in love
again. Or at least find a hot-looking guy to have sex with!
I would call Happy Mania a tragic-comedy on the level of a
Shakespearean play. In order for a hero to truly have a tragic
flaw, that hero/heroine must NOT be aware of their flaw. Because if
they were, they could change, they could evolve. It seemed for a
time that Kayoko was going to have some sort of epiphany and figure
out what she's doing wrong. And I think given time in a nunnery,
she probably could come to terms with herself. But as long as she
is anywhere in the vicinity of handsome unattainable men, she is
doomed to repeat herself over and over. She still thinks that
having sex is a method of making a guy fall in love with her,
instead of seeing that a truly decent dude would like and love her
before she pulled out that card. And poor Takahashi, he is probably
a good match for her. He's a nice guy. Too bad, subliminally,
Shigeta believes that happiness and marriage are not meant to
coexist. Is this girl ever gonna straighten up?
My Grade: B+