MANGA REVIEW: Alternative [Self Liner Note]
When creatives are forced to work a regular job.
Disclaimer: This copy of Alternative [Self Liner Note] was sent over by Manga Mavericks and I do know the founders for a few years now through participating in the SDCC Best and Worst Manga Panel. All thoughts are my own.
For people passionate about creating, it feels like a failure when you have to resort to a regular office job just to keep a roof on your head. If you find yourself relating to this, then Alternative [Self Liner Note] is a short story about that. Yes, today we’re talking about a short story! Last year the crew at Manga Mavericks began an independent manga publishing company that has been picking up and printing very interesting titles and short stories by lesser known mangakas that normally wouldn’t get their works printed in English.
Author: Chiaki Yagura
Genre: Drama
Age Rating: Teen 13+
Publisher: Manga Mavericks Books
Status: Complete, one volume
Synopsis:
A 28 year-old woman is having to balance her office lady persona by day which brings her money, and her real passion of being a rock musician at night. She is now a year older and unlike many of her heroes that joined “club 27” (the rock legends that passed away at 27 years-old), she’s stuck turning a year older and she finds herself far from being a legendary rock star. Despite how much she enjoys music, she begins to feel like a poser having to work a regular job in order to sustain herself unlike one of her closest friends who was able to turn her passion for writing into a career. The 28 year-old woman finds that she’s being over consumed by her doubts and anxieties, so will she let those thoughts win and block her creativity? Or will she rise above and keep creating?
Favorite Things:
The protagonist: I really enjoyed that the protagonist is a 28 year-old woman who is a creative forced to take on a regular job because it’s extremely relatable. Having to balance your real passion with a job that is needed to survive can feel like a waste of time for creatives. I know a lot of people in this same position and I’ve found myself in that position too.
The art: I really enjoyed seeing the panels where Chiaki Yagura illustrated the protagonist’s anxiety and all the outside pressures taking up a bigger and bigger form. So it made it even more satisfying to see that physical interpretation of anxiety and negativity being crushed by the protagonist.
Short Story: This is a very short story which is only 40 pages long but despite how short it was, it felt complete. I wasn’t left wanting more because I didn’t feel super attached to the characters and was able to take this story for what it is. For me this was a good short story with a logical and humble resolution.
Rating: ★★★ / 5
This was a simple story with very cool artwork and relatable problems. I feel like any adult in a similar position as the protagonist will enjoy this short but satisfying read. If you are looking to read short stories and support lesser known mangakas, then look into this one and what Manga Mavericks Books has been publishing.
Shop here: Manga Mavericks Shop