Monochrome Factor

[branchandroot]

I’ve just finished mainlining Monochrome Factor. (This is all Vathara’s fault.) I suspect I may actually get this one in the domestic release, to have them for rereads. I’m mildly agonized that the manga is progressing so slowly (only six volumes in several years), but it’s still worth the read.

Spoilers follow.

The plot is fairly standard “save the world by fighting monsters and the Other Side who is sending them” fare. Hung on the plot, however, are some very tasty character dynamics. We have the hero (kind of), Akira, who’s a pretty-boy slacker thug, kind of like Ichigo redrawn as a gen-x cliche, and the reincarnation of a high spiritual entity. Only he doesn’t remember a lick of it. We have his dippy boy sidekick, Kengo, who can get a bit annoying but is probably the nicest person in the whole cast. We have the amazingly non-token-like girl, Aya, a prefect, disciplinary committee, kendo club (I think Hibari would like her) who smacks sense into Akira because she’s the one who actually gets how important this all is and what fighting spirit is all about. We have Akira and Kengo’s older buddy Kou, the hentai who tries to grope Aya and gets righteously beaten up for it and who is, incidentally, the otherworldly liege man of Akira’s past self. We have our anti-hero (kind of) Shirogane, the counterpart high spiritual entity who drags Akira into all this, most likely has an agenda of his own, and really, really demonstrates the adage “it’s always the nice ones you have to watch out for”. Also with long, long silver hair, just to round off the tastiness.

While there are some bobbles starting out, as the characters are settling into their narrative relationships to one another, they develop very nicely. Akira and Kengo are unspeakably teenage boy like and have fist fights to show their affection. Aya is clearly not a romantic interest of anyone yet, which makes my heart sing even when she isn’t very competently slicing up the landscape with a sword. The tension between Akira and Shirogane, made up of the secrets Shirogane keeps, the way he cares for Akira, the almost-student-mentor bond they develop, and the yet unknown relationship Shirogane had with Ryuuko, Akira’s past self, is simply delicious. It’s garnished delightfully with the tension between Shirogane and Kou, neither of them trusting the other with Akira but both bound to a sort of alliance through Akira.

And there’s a totally psychotic villain and at least one character on his side whose allegiance and actions are shrouded in mystery, which always makes things interesting.

The anime, alas is utter trash. I say this with great woe, because Suwabe Junichi voices Shirogane, and I was hoping for better. But no, not only does it devolve into total crack (I mean, overtops tenipuri level crack), not only does it make Shirogane into a wuss and Aya into a wimp (unforgivable), it entirely reorganizes the storyline into dreadfully cliche sentai shenanigans and thereby surgically removes all the dramatic tension. It cranks up Akira and Shirogane’s relationship to bona fide BL, though without any real emotional or even eyecandy payoff, but after the delicate tension between them that the manga sustains it’s way too slapstick to do anything but roll one’s eye s over.

So read the manga, don’t touch the anime.

Comments

[kemis]

asdlkajsdlkj I just love the way you can prettily warp up a perfect explanation/summary for a series. &hearts

I can only wholeheartedly second everything you said. The anime was SUCH a huge disappointment. I was already reading the manga when they announced the anime, and finding out that Suwabe would voice Shirogane was pure gold. Except by the time we reached episode 5/6 I started crying bloody tears, and didn't stop until the end. God. The only episode I'll save out of the lot is episode 18, because it's the typical bonus crack episode (except they're supposed to happen only in long SRS BZNESS anime, and this is totally not the case with MF, but I'll ignore that fact), and mostly because chibi!Kou is adorable.

The manga, on the other hand, is fabulous. I find almost staggering the sheer depth and humanity of the characters in spite of half of them being anything but. Kengo is just full of surprises, but I love the way Kou's character is being developed. The big flashback in chapters 24-26 gave us a big insight on the remorse and guilt Kou is carrying over his cowardice and betrayal, as well as his devotion to Ryuuko. That makes me both anticipate and dread what Sorano has in store for us on the Shirogane-Ryuuko front.

[branchandroot]

*hearts*

And yes, the anime was just a crime. I mean, in 24 eps there were maybe sixty seconds worth of Suwabe that made my heart go pitter pat, and that's just wrong.

I'm totally loving the manga. I'm a characterization fan, and I have to say it's damn impressive what has been fit into a mere 27 issues, even if they're long issues. I loved the flashback to death and now have Ryuuko/Kou smutbunnies. *coughs* To go along with the Shirogane/Akira and Ryuuko/Shirogane ones.

Now I just want to know what's up with Sawaki. And... has he always been Homurabi's Child, or did he, perhaps, used to be Ryuuko's or Shirogane's?

[kemis]

I think that the thing I appreciated the most of the anime was the music - the OP, the EDs and the character albums (which I'm more than willing to share, if you'd like them). The ED2 sung by Suwabe and Konishi is wonderful.<3

The flashback is made of EPIC WIN. The way Kou gets teary-eyed first and outright crying later made me melt. As a result, I now picture the Old Times with Kou as over-eager, obnoxious brat with a sekrit huge crush pestering Ryuuko all the time, and glaring at/playing pranks on Shirogane for taking away Ryuuko's attention. Also, you forgot to mention the Kou/Kengo bunnies, dear. Come on, Kengo chapter 22 just begs for it.

IMO, judging from Kou's reactions and Sawaki and Homurabi's conversation in the last chapter, Sawaki was a rei (maybe even Ryuuko's own child, who knows), and totally backstabbed Ryuuko and crossed over to Homurabi. *nods*

[branchandroot]

*sparkles* I would absolutely love the music, if you have it handy for upload or whatnot.

*grins* Yeah, I can totally see Kou teasing the life out of Kengo with references to how intimate they've been, and Kengo blushing like mad.

That's sure what it seemed like to me. And I'm dying to find out what Sawaki's agenda is.

[kemis]

Here's my MediaFire music folder, I have most of the music already up, except for the OP and ED1 singles, and the Factor 1/Akira character album, which I'm uploading as we speak. I can only hope MediaFire behaves today.^^;

Kou and Kengo would totally make a good couple. And god, if/when Kengo finds out about Akira being Ryuuko and Kou's feelings for him... As if Kengo's inferiority complex towards Akira isn't big enough as it is. So much potential for angst in that. Also, can you imagine the amount of mindfuckery Homurabi would unleash if he ever got wind of that little tidbit of information?

...Scratch that, now that I think about it it's bound to happen in canon sooner or later. We know Kengo and his Dark Factor are going to play a big part in the story, and what better way to win Kengo over to the Dark Side and turn him against his friends?

[branchandroot]

Yeah, you gotta figure something unpleasant is in store for Kengo. Poor guy.

And thank you! *is downloading happily* Cool osts make the whole world better.

[kemis]

Being a sidekick is a thankless job, let me tell you - bad working hours, minimum wages, no health insurance and the hero always gets the hot silver-haired stud main love interest.

*sighs* Such a pity there's only a handful of fics in this fandom, and almost none worth reading. I mean the whole Ryuuko/Akira/Shirogane is such a source of you-love-me-for-me-or-for-him bunnies, and the only couple of fics about it I've found starred a emo!Akira way too OOC for my tastes. And next to nothing about Kou, darn.

I'm almost done uploading! I got the ED1 and Factor 1 album up, but MediaFire is being fussy tonight and doesn't want to accept the OP single. But I'm not giving up.

[branchandroot]

Well, I have fic to bring to my new shiny, so hopefully that will change at least!

Emo!Akira? Really? I mean, I love his uncertainty, which goes so complexly with his tough talk, but...

The fascinating thing so far is how my my Shirogane muse seems to separate Akira and Ryuuko in his head; like he considers them two totally separate people.

[kemis]

...I'll love you forever if you do. *worships the ground you walk on*

A super-duper emo!Akira disappearing in England for six months with no words because they aren't his friends, they're Ryuuko's! EVERYONE WANTS RYUUKO AND NO ONE UNDERSTAND HIS PAIN. Which left me totally baffled, because I can see Shirogane and Kou, but what the hell have Aya and Kengo in common with Ryuuko? *shakes head*

Yes, Shirogane does seem to treat Akira and Ryuuko as different people, but there's no saying on who he likes better, and at some point Akira is going to have to think about who Ryuuko was and how much he mattered to those who knew him. But he's totally not the type to go all emo on in. Immature!Slacker!Akira would likely just shrug and leave it at that, but lately he's been maturing. I believe his attitude would be more "fuck Ryuuko, he's a dead guy and if you have trouble remembering that I'll KICK you until you do".

Aaand I'm done uploading!&hearts

[mllelaurel]

I know this post is from a bit back, but I just wanted to say thank you for recommending this manga! I've devoured six volumes of it in the last two days. ...Probably not a good idea, considering the speed it's being released at, but I just couldn't stop reading.

Bummed to hear the anime sucks. What were they thinking?

[branchandroot]

You're welcome! *rueful* And I hear you. I seem to be reading more and more monthlies these days, and it's a test of patience for sure.

I don't know what they were thinking! It's one of the worse adaptations I've ever watched! Argh.

[mllelaurel]

I've just finished Aya and Lulu's epic battle. And is there any way to interpret Lulu's reaction at the end as anything other than a blatant crush? Especially with the cover that shows the two of them all snuggly.

I also love Aya's crazy-ass family. Her mom has the world's best non-reaction.

I think you've nailed it, when you said Aya's non-token, and that's one of the best things about the series. She gets the kind of investment and care allotted only to male characters most of the time, without being made any less of a clearly female character. If that makes any sense. She even had a grand 'convert the rival' scene - a lampshaded one, no less.

[branchandroot]

*grins* No, no there really isn't. And it only gets better from there. Lulu has a crush on Aya to beat the band. I love the little things the mangaka does to parallel and connect them; even their clothing is reverse images, just a little later on.