Review |
Let's dispose first of the idea that there is anything titillating in the 2-volume SEX series; there isn't, and the title seems to be essentially an attention-grabber. This large-format series, printed on high-quality paper, chronicles the interactions of tall slim schoolgirl Kaho and various punks. A complete revelation after the throwaway read-on the-train manga, this is so vivid and detailed that one can look through it for hours with renewed pleasure. Kamijo draws remarkably detailed and vivid street scenes, and attractive character portraits. Though entirely modern, the lines of the clothes of his characters often carry an echo of the long flowing garments depicted in tradional Japanese prints. Many of the frames are full page size, with little or no dialogue, and there are double-page mood pieces (V1,28-28,48-49,188-189). A few pages have a single spot colour (red in V1, blue in V2) used for heightened effect.
Kamijo also created the TO-Y manga, about the lifestyle of a rock musician and his friends, but SEX is clearly a later and more accomplished work. |