MICHELLE: After a few months of this column, I feel like I'm better able to think critically about the artistic aspect of manga. I expected to be able to better appreciate good art when I see it, but hadn't anticipated that I'd also more readily notice flaws. This month, MJ (of Manga Bookshelf) and I turn our attention to problematic pages or, as I like to call them, "duds." … [Read more...] about Let’s Get Visual: Duds
Let's Get Visual
Let’s Get Visual: Of Sakura and the Sea
MICHELLE: Welcome to the November edition of Let's Get Visual, a monthly column in which Manga Bookshelf's MJ and I attempt to improve our understanding of manga art! We don't have any particular theme this month, but that hasn't stopped us from assembling some interesting pages to talk about! MJ has chosen a two-page spread from the fourth volume of Children of the Sea, … [Read more...] about Let’s Get Visual: Of Sakura and the Sea
Let’s Get Visual: Speechless
MICHELLE: Welcome to the third installment of Let's Get Visual, a monthly column with Manga Bookshelf's MJ in which we flex our artistic muscles! Although it's not our intent to have specific themes for each column, we do like responding to requests! Last month, as suggested by a reader, we devoted our column to action scenes. This month, inspired by a comment from … [Read more...] about Let’s Get Visual: Speechless
Let’s Get Visual: Annnnnd Action!
MICHELLE: Welcome to the second installment of Let's Get Visual, the monthly column in which MJ (of Manga Bookshelf) and I attempt to improve our admittedly lacking skills in visual analysis! In the comments section of last month's post, it was suggested that we choose selections that would allow us to "examine movement and panel-to-panel storytelling." This notion intrigued … [Read more...] about Let’s Get Visual: Annnnnd Action!
Let’s Get Visual: Warm-Up Exercises
MICHELLE: Welcome to a brand-new Feature here at Soliloquy in Blue: Let's Get Visual! Each month, Manga Bookshelf's MJ and I will select a page or sequence of pages from our recent manga reads that we find intriguing and attempt to develop our visual-critiquing muscles by sharing our thoughts about it. Neither of us is particularly adept at this, but it's our hope that by a … [Read more...] about Let’s Get Visual: Warm-Up Exercises