From Eroica With Love
Published December 22, 2004
Though she vanishes halfway into the book, it's sixteen-year-old Sugar Plum who brings us into this world, and she, quite pointedly, is shown to be nervous around any too-explicit sexuality. Confronted with a painting of Cupid and Venus kissing, she blushes when Eroica points out the work's erotic elements. A stand-in for the shojo manga's young reader, mayhaps? I wouldn't doubt it.
As for my opening query - whether Eroica would age better than a faded Brit teevee series - well, considering that so many manga series feature protagonists who resemble a bastard child of Marc Bolan, the overall look of the series doesn't seem particularly dated. I wish Aioke was as attentive to the mechanics of her crime plots as she is to the sight of a young man placing his hands on his hips, but, then, I'm clearly outside the primary demographic for this book. I do intend to read the second volume, though, if only to see if Major Klaus ever actually gets his hands under that skirt. . .
- From Eroica With Love
- Published: December 22, 2004
- Type:
- Section: Books
- Filed Under: Books: Comics and Graphic Novels
- Writer: Bill Sherman
- Bill Sherman's BC Writer page
- Bill Sherman's personal site
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Then who's Frank?
Just kidding. I was concentrating so much on getting the Japanese names and terms right that I flubbed the simply monosyllable 'un. Typical. I've corrected by removing the accountant's name completely. . .
Thanks for the info on the series.
Listed at Advance
I was always hoping Ceasar would pop up again, but alas the Earl's world continues to turn with out him it seems.
I will have to find Seven Seas,Seven Skies on my own, in fact I belive it is one of your Fanfictions that mentions Tyrian, Kadorienne.
In the U.S., volume 4 is out now- I've noticed a few changes in the artistic style- mainly it's gotton slightly better, but I've always loved old school manga anyway.
And has anyone found out who Frank is yet?
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Alas, you won't see Major Eberbach putting his hands under Achilles' skirt. After that issue, Achilles and Caesar both vanish entirely, and the rest of the series is taken up with Dorian's pursuit of Klaus through art theft and espionage mission.
The reason for the change in direction is that Klaus wasn't originally intended to be part of the series; apparently Caesar was supposed to be Dorian's love interest. But after writing the first issue, Aoike wrote a separate story ("Seven Seas, Seven Skies") about Dorian's lookalike ancestor, Luminous Red Benedict. The story needed a villain, so Aoike created Tyrian Persimmon (whose portrait is owned by his lookalike descendant Klaus von dem Eberbach and coveted by Dorian). To her own surprise, she found herself "falling madly in love" with her villain, and so she reincarnated him as Klaus so that she could continue writing about him.
Oh, and Dorian's accountant is named James, not Frank.