I didn't read comics as a kid. I don't read the funnies in the paper as an adult. Some might say I'm no fun. I say, "Just look at my collection of picture books and my crab hat, and you will realize that you are wrong." I am fun. I swear.
And just to prove it, I read my first bit o' manga.
Fruits Basket introduces Tohru who is orphaned, kicked out of her grandpas house, lives in a tent, and eventually moves in with a family who turns into animals from the signs of the zodiac when hugged by members of the opposite sex. It's true. They turn into cats, rats, pigs, etc. Because of this, they have a lot of pent up angst. Teenage boys stuck with the plight of never being able to touch a girl. You'd be pissed as well.
Things I like:
1. Androgoneous boys. God bless the Japanese culture for loving boys that look like girls.
2. Cute animals
3. An angry cousin that turns into a boar and beats boys up
Things I don't like (keeping in mind that this may just be about my dislike for manga in general):
1. Tohru Honda will only be happy if she pleases those boys. She cooks and cleans for them and often tells them that she'll do anything for them. Gag.
2. The melodrama is a bit strange. I realize now that this is part of the style, but it's hard for me to connect to the story when someone reacts to a friend being a bit down by having their eyes pop out of their head and weaping uncontrollably.
3. I get the characters confused easily. I suppose it's partially the illustrations (all the characters are slightly different version of the same hyper-feminized person) and partially my lack of experience with the style.
I'm willing to give manga another go, but I'd say that I'm not an immediate fan. Give me ridiculously long exposition any day.
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