Voiceful

By nawoko
Seven Seas, 184 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Voiceful, one of several titles in Seven Seas’ Strawberry line, is a yuri (a.k.a. girls’ love) anthology. Most of the volume is given over to the eponymous story, which explores the relationship between Kanae, a timid shut-in, and Hina, an Internet singing sensation whose music is Kanae’s only solace. After Kanae bumps into Hina on the street, the two begin emailing, a correspondence which gradually blossoms into a friendship—IRL, no less. Kanae draws strength from Hina, finding the courage to leave the house to spend time with her new pal, while Hina finds inspiration in Kanae’s unwavering devotion, and strives to become a better artist.

The only other character is Hina’s manager Hiru, a big sisterly type who rescued Hina from an abusive home life. With so much emphasis on the two leads, there’s very little dramatic tension in the story beyond the normal ups and downs of a new friendship. (The more introverted Kanae worries that the relationship is hopelessly one-sided, while Hina frets that Kanae views her as a celebrity, not a person.) Though the story might have benefited from a little more plot, manga-ka nawoko earns points for steering clear of histrionics. Most scenes are quieter, character-driven moments: a conversation in a coffee shop, an email exchange, a private moment listening to music.

The remaining stories in the volume are considerably shorter and less satisfying. The first, “Someone Special,” is little more than a vignette about a class skating trip. The second, “Opening,” focuses on a student teacher and a talented young singer who find themselves locked in a classroom. The story feels rushed, with an unearned conclusion; nawoko never convinces us that this improbable pair would forge a meaningful connection through music.

I’m of two minds about the artwork. On the hand, nawoko’s restraint is a big plus. She never piles on the sparkles or the sweatdrops, instead using the white of the page to suggest her characters’ fragile emotional states. Her figures and faces have a pleasant naturalism about them that make the characters seem more real than their counterparts in many shojo/yuri series. On the other hand, nawoko’s application of screentone seems rather amateurish. She almost never uses it to give her figures definition or weight, often superimposing large, undifferentiated swathes of grey atop her rather delicate, simple line drawings. A similar problem plagues her backdrops, which have the look and feel of clip art that’s been retouched in PhotoShop. None of her characters seem to inhabit the spaces she delineates—if anything, they appear to be pasted into the picture frame, as convincing as an image of Bigfoot striding down Madison Avenue.

Voiceful is beautifully packaged, with a handsome cover and glossy, full-color front plate that really sell a casual browser on the book. The book’s larger trim size is a plus, too, giving the artwork a little more room to breathe. The same care has been extended to the text itself, which has been edited carefully with an eye (ear?) towards readability.

Readers hoping for something risqué will be sorely disappointed, as the characters never come close to consummating their feelings, save for a tender hug, a meaningful glance, or a handshake. (Yuricon founder Erica Friedman rated it a 1 out of 10 on her Loser Fan Boy scale of salaciousness.) But for a shojo, josei, or yuri fan who appreciates quiet, slice-of-life stories, Voiceful might prove a welcome change of pace from wacky hijinks and magical girl adventures.

Voiceful is available now.