(L) Fuuka (Seo Kouji)

[ImperialFlameGod8190]

The problem with Suzuka is a similar problem with the one many had with KNIM.
Yamato had far better options and far more credible options but he denied those options to be with a girl whose emotionally damaged on many levels.
Suzuka's problem was that she was still in love with a dead guy far later and denied yamoto pretty much because of the fact that she reminded him of the past.
Not only did he pursue her but denied two girls who would've been much better (Honoka and hashiba) even then he still really had nothing.
yamato had zero redeemable traits whatsoever besides him being fast.

[Tenzen12]

It's neither uncommon nor bad that main love interest has issues she has to get over and (Suzuka did). Honoka was from begening set as girl without actual chance (thanks godness) and if Hashiba was that good I would at least remember who the hell she was.

Yamato himself is pretty normal guy, yet he was good boyfriend in temporary relationship with Honoka and later with Suzuka. For me Yamato was hundred time better than Haruto, who repeatadly failed in that metter.

[ImperialFlameGod8190]

its my opinion on the matter. Hashiba was the girl who was friends with suzuka on the track team tall brown hair.

[Tenzen12]

Still not ringing bells, but I read it 5 years ago or so. I might reread it agains. But yeah, side characters are often best ones, but if they won, unless author is genius, it would ruin story. And Seo is not.

[LeaD36]

i have low expectations as always for Seo series'. This manga is probably another "skip in 10 seconds for the fanservice" type of deal. I have the same lingering resentment for both Seo and Kubo, although for other reasons.

[Tenzen12]

Hey! Take that back!

Kubo was writing Zombie powder you know!

[Fwarlord]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

Yamato himself is pretty normal guy, yet he was good boyfriend in temporary relationship with Honoka and later with Suzuka. For me Yamato was hundred time better than Haruto, who repeatadly failed in that metter.

Actually, Yamato is no normal guy, he is a genius athlete who can become a candidate for world championship. And the idiot abandoned everything to become a lowly salaryman. The guy has no talent except tracking, which he gave up without a second thought, so I can't see a bright future for him. He indeed ruined both his and the girl he love's future. They both dropped college, one became a mother and housewife, the other work a job someone found for him, which isn't his major nor he has any interest in. While on the other hand, had he chosen Honoka, he would have had a chance to follow the path he is talented the most.

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

Still not ringing bells, but I read it 5 years ago or so. I might reread it agains. But yeah, side characters are often best ones, but if they won, unless author is genius, it would ruin story. And Seo is not.

The reason is, you see, when the lovely side character take the boring main heroine's place, no matter how interested the side character nor how logical the story is, it tend to have many fanboy go rage for no actual reason, talk about many nonsense "Who is she? She appears out of nowhere... How come they love each other? Where is the main heroine? It's unfair, it should be her place...blah...blah...".
I have full of those in Bloody Monday

[greensoulreaper]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

Suzuka was fine, I didn't particulary loved it, but I don't see why would people dislike it, aside of following usual love triangle patern

Than again After KINM and that pure boredom that Princess Lucia is. I will have to force myself try it and even that just cause Half and Half is great (for now, that is).


I belive magazines of these two are releassed three times per year or something like that. Unless he switches these it will be probably same as it's now.

I'm liking Half & Half. Too bad it is essentially set up to not last very long. My guess is that it'll run about as long as Rinko Days or slightly longer, and then end.

Lucia I don't care much for anymore, it's essentially a cluster of cliches and fan service, which arguably isn't much worse than a typical KNIM filler chapter.

Again, I'm not sure if Fuuka would be a manga I'd invest time into following. It could be as bad as the horrible parts of Suzuka, KNIM, and Lucia combined.

[n0m@n]

I'm sure the heroine will be someone who's crush or former boyfriend died again.
oh, and I just checked chapter 257ish, and a small girl called Fuuka appears... So the mummy must be Suzuka.

[Mentar]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

It's neither uncommon nor bad that main love interest has issues she has to get over and (Suzuka did). Honoka was from begening set as girl without actual chance (thanks godness) and if Hashiba was that good I would at least remember who the hell she was.

I'm with IFG here. Keep in mind that Suzuka was Seo's first really popular series, so even though the show was named after Suzuka, there was no reason not to give Honoka a long shot chance.

Throughout the show, it was consistently Akitsuki's inexplicable infatuation with abuse from Suzuka that brought him pain and despair, and it was consistently Honoka who would then have to pick up the pieces and heal him. Nevertheless, he would always gravitate back to the selfish and unapologetic b*tch with no redeeming features other than her looks (and Seo's infatuation with her). Throughout the show I was always waiting for something like Suzuka's repentance or at least the self-realization that she had been downright horrible. It never came. Which is why Suzuka remains the one show where "losing girl (Honoka) deserves something better than the male lead" rings oh so true with me.

Hashiba was Miki. She also deserved MUCH better than Yamato.

Yamato himself is pretty normal guy, yet he was good boyfriend in temporary relationship with Honoka and later with Suzuka. For me Yamato was hundred time better than Haruto, who repeatadly failed in that metter.

Yamato is the impersonation of "Battered Wife Syndrome". Doesn't make for a satisfying ending IMHO.

[Tenzen12]

Originally Posted by Fwarlord

Actually, Yamato is no normal guy, he is a genius athlete who can become a candidate for world championship. And the idiot abandoned everything to become a lowly salaryman. The guy has no talent except tracking, which he gave up without a second thought, so I can't see a bright future for him. He indeed ruined both his and the girl he love's future. They both dropped college, one became a mother and housewife, the other work a job someone found for him, which isn't his major nor he has any interest in. While on the other hand, had he chosen Honoka, he would have had a chance to follow the path he is talented the most.

-Talented athlete maybe, but honestly being profesional sportsman it's quite difficult and mere talent isn't enough, there is no way find whether he would succedd or failed. And honestly fact that he was able gave up to take responsibilty is good thing.

-You know, they did it together so claim like "he ruined his girlfriend life" is BS. In the end they married and have kid. It might not be future they imagined, but family is by no means inferior to carreer.

-Why you assume he and Honoka wouldn't have sex? Maybe you are right as there wasn't that much of built up passion, but it's not realy something that can be decided by you.

[ImperialFlameGod8190]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

-Why you assume he and Honoka wouldn't have sex? Maybe you are right as there wasn't that much of built up passion, but it's not realy something that can be decided by you.

The problem with honoka was simply that it felt like he hooked up with honoka to try to get over his feelings for suzuka (a rebound of sorts)

[Tenzen12]

It's possible, that's why I never considered her to be serious contender either. I wonder, is this post arguing with or adding to my?

[ImperialFlameGod8190]

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

It's possible, that's why I never considered her to be serious contender either. I wonder, is this post arguing with or adding to my?

i'm in agreement I mean I think yamato was a kid who was only fast and that was his only redeemable trait suzuka was one of those u watch but you have no idea why you watched it because after the episode when she realized he was fast u pretty much knew how it would end.

[Mahou]

As much as I'm fond of the japanese culture (at least within my limited knowledge), I cannot really understand what they find so good at Seo's works instead of showing him the metaphorical middle finger, unless they all have a "drama = automatically good"-mindset . Well to be fair, it's not that his works are terribad from the get-go, but its more the sh!tty drama (KNIM) of it or are boring (Princess Lucia). I did enjoy the Half & Half oneshot quite much, though, + the parts of KNIM that made me not facepalm.

[Tenzen12]

It's his artwork. Seo can draw realy nice chicks.

[Blue-kun]

I don't know how it is for the japanese, but if the english speaking audience is anything to go by, I'd say Seo is still doing a hell of a good job at earning his paycheck. People moan about his works all the time, but they still come back for it and end up following them. If I hadn't enjoyed both Suzuka and Kimimachi, I'd probably know better by now than to jump into yet another one of his weekly serializations. But, then again, I guess some people either like to suffer through things they do not enjoy, or they just have fun with it, even though they're unable to perceive it.

Maybe I'll be wrong and Fuuka will be very different, but chances are somewhere along the road people will show up and complain about Seo's "infatuation" with his main girl, and how the main pair shouldn't be together and all that stuff that also happened in both Suzuka and Kimimachi. Personally, I do enjoy that kind of tale, because it's interesting to see just how much influence the pair has over each other in his stories, and Seo does usually does manage to write some interesting stuff with that. Of course, they're not flawless, far from it, but I'd still take his stuff over other things such as Ichigo 100% or Good Ending, for instance, which I just can't really get into.

[Tenzen12]

Out of works I read from him 3 was ok-ish, One good (for now) and two genuine trash (dropped). That's not what I would call good job. Mediocre at best.

I guess if Fuuka will finish in 100 or less chapters there is fair chance it will not be bad.

[Mentar]

Well... for me, 90% of Seo's appeal is his artwork. Because it's exactly this: Many of his drawn girls/women are genuine pieces of art. Breathtakingly beautiful. Head and shoulders above the average. He's also quite alright at depicting typical interactions between characters - in fact, he can be quite funny and touching.

His main problem is that proper gradual character developments as part of a bigger story arc are shaky and inconsistent. All too often you wonder "after all that has happened, why the hell does (s)he do THAT now?" and continue to tear your hair out. Therefore, his shorter stories tend to be better than his looooooong ones, simply because it's easier to keep a reasonably consistent storyline. I'd also agree that "Half and Half" is his best work by far, for this very reason.

It would be nice if he would manage to change the dispositions of his main characters a bit more. Mix it up some, and do shorter stories WITHOUT an easily identifiable "designated match". But that may be a bit too much to ask for.

In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy his art

[Blue-kun]

Totally agree on the art, at least. Sometimes the anatomy looks a bit iffy on some more complex poses, but at the end of the day he really draws some fine ladies. And not only that, Kimimachi in particular has some really outstanding imagery in quite a few chapters that I don't think I'll be forgetting any soon. Still love that page with Haruto riding his bike with Yuzuki, during the "end" of the Tokyo arc.

As for the rest, at least Seo did say on Twitter that Fuuka would be the "complete opposite" of Yuzuki. Whatever he means by that, I don't know, but if her brief cameos throughout Kimimachi are any indication, she'll probably be one spunky young lady, lol.