The Decagon House Murders, Volume 1 by Ayatsuji & Kiyohara - Review

 The Decagon House Murders Vol 1

The Decagon House Murders (Volume 1) is based on Yukito Ayatsuji's 1987 mystery novel. The plot is about a university mystery club whose members took a vacation on a remote island where they stayed in a house that happens to be a crime scene. An unknown assailant had killed a family in that house many years ago in a manner that attracted the nation's attention. The manga focuses on the characters within the club, their individual theories about the murder case, as well as the strange happenings that are occurring both on and off the island.

LIKES
The art is good to look at and the characters are distinct enough. The dialogue flows very well and the background to the story is well-explained. In short, this is a tale that is easy to get into.

DISLIKES
I find it difficult taking The Decagon House Murders seriously. Apart from the weird codenames that are forced on many of the characters, the plot seemed contrived as some of the situations the characters are put in aren't realistic nor believable.

WHO IS IT FOR?
This seems to be a book for any kind of mystery novel fans. The enjoyment factor might be debatable.

Many thanks to Kodansha for providing a review copy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Radical: My Year with a Socialist Senator by Sofia Warren - Book Recommendation

Image
Books that discuss politics can be boring to some, but such people might want to make an exception for this one. Radical: My Year with a Socialist Senator is a first-hand witness account of a cartoonist's time with Julia Salazar, a 27-year-old democratic socialist running for state senate in New York. Most of what the book material is about are what the cartoonist witnessed during the first year of Salazar's term by embedding herself with the young senator's team for about a year. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK One of the best tools of journalism is witnessing a situation about which you are reporting first-hand. This way, you get to understand your subject with little or no filtering. Radical is a book with lots of eye-opening information on politics, money, and how these forces have an impact on everyone's lives... more than we know or care to admit. DISLIKES None. WHO IS IT FOR This is for any adult who wants to understand politics without getting bored. Many
Read more

Forgotten Blade by Tze Chun & Toni Fejzul - A Review

Image
Forgotten Blade is a fantasy story set in the land of Five Rivers. It is a tale of a female magician who enlisted the help of a mercenary to topple a theocratic government in revenge for the curse placed on her two children. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK Forgotten Blade is a beautifully drawn book. The uniqueness and style of the art stand out in the midst of a tale that seems familiar. DISLIKES The plot is predictable and holds little or no surprise. WHO IS IT FOR Fans of epic fantasy may enjoy the art and possibilities Forgotten Blade has to offer. Many thanks to TKO Presents for providing a review copy.
Read more

Art As An Elevated Form Of Communication

Image
Art is usually considered inferior to text - an examination of people's attitude to comics versus normal textbooks is a testament to that. However, what if art is actually an elevated form of communication? What if the medium has more to offer us if we open our minds and allow it to show us its secrets. Teaching Artfully is all about the exploration of the possibilities of art for both the artists and the people who consume it as a medium. LIKES This book reminds me of Nick Sousanis' Unflattening , hence I was not surprised to see his name at the bottom of the foreword. Teaching Artfully is a meditation on the nature of art and how it can help us understand ourselves and the world as well. It is a book that points out the potential of art to inspire out-of-the-box thinking and perspectives. DISLIKES None. WHO IS IT FOR? It does not matter if you are an artist or not, Teaching Artfully is for anyone who is open to learning what art has to offer for their self-de
Read more