Manga Review: From Eroica With Love, Vol. 11

From Eroica With Love, Vol. 11

By Yasuko Aoike
CMX, 224 pp.
Rating: 13+

After reading eleven successive volumes of From Eroica With Love, I am forced to admit that it is simply one of the best shojo series I have ever had the pleasure of getting my grubby paws on. And that’s a tall order, because the competition is fierce. I mean seriously, what can even series as good as Cardcaptor Sakura, Fruits Basket do in the face of Eroica? Hell, even Please Save My Earth and Banana Fish in their full-blown eighties might are not quite up to the task of taking down Eroica in its seventies might. But you didn’t come to this series to hear why this series is AMAZING (see Shaenon Garrity’s OMF entry on Eroica for that); you came to see whether volume 11 specifically rocks my socks. And good news: it does.

The basic premise of From Eroica with Love is that international master art thief Dorian Red, a.k.a. Eroica, gallivants around the world stealing whatever suits his fancy. The twist? Dorian is homosexual (gasp!) and his taste in art is not limited to inanimate objects. During one of his heists, Dorian crosses paths with NATO officer Klaus Eberbach, and becomes fixated with the major. Wackiness, innuendo, fruitiness and self–parody ensue—for more than 34 volumes!

This volume of Eroica, however, is a gem among gems and the series’ unfaltering wit reaches new heights. The strength of this manga is always most evident when the major’s and Eroica’s personalities are in direct contact, and this volume certainly does not disappoint. The first chunk of the volume kicks off with the Major in Germany in hot pursuit of “the laughing cardinals”, an entity that he knows nothing about. The major is chased by the KGB, and escapes them by the skin of his teeth only after a thrilling car chase and ridiculous airport dash. He and Eroica eventually run into each other, and as the major uncovers the mystery of the “laughing cardinals” their paths become inextricably intertwined (again!), much to Eroica’s delight. The wackiness and joy only increases from there with another car chase, innuendo-laden CPR, ridiculous technology, and a two page treatment of the major’s butt. Yes. After Eroica talks about Klaus’ butt and the major becomes extremely perturbed, Yasuko Aoike does nothing but draw a page of shots of the major’s butt as he and Eroica scale a mountain. Fabulous.

The art, some reviewers complain, is sub par. And I’m tempted to agree. Eroica’s strength does not lie in its serviceable art: it lies in its incredibly witty dialogue and engaging plot. Compared to other classic shojo titles (maybe with the exception of Banana Fish) like To Terra or The Rose of Versailles, Eroica’s art isn’t really anything special. The character designs for the Major and the Earl are quite good however, though the secondary characters look very rough and obviously received a lot less care. The backgrounds in the panels are similarly unimpressive, relying often on screen tones or speed lines. It is rare that the merely average art gets in the way of the epic adventure, though.

Though From Eroica with Love is never going to be accused of being the deepest manga ever, I would certainly proclaim one of the funniest and most satisfying. It does what a comic, should: you walk away from it feeling satisfied and still thinking about the world. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next. The teaser promises that Klaus will actually send his men to Alaska as punishment for their uselessness. I couldn’t be more psyched.

Volume eleven of From Eroica With Love is available now.