13 replies to this topic

[svines85]

An excellent story so far by an extremely good author, thanks to Village Idiot Scans for this manga and a number of other works by Hara Hidenori.

One of the older works of this long time and successful mangaka, Fuyu Hanabi features a pair of main character who are both at turning points in their lives and professional careers. A shorter manga, it is listed by MangaUpdates as one volume complete. Hopefully everyone will take the opportunity to discuss this great manga.

Other great titles by this author.........

http://vatoto.com/comic/_/comics/hoshi-no-furu-machi-r638

http://vatoto.com/comic/_/comics/regatta-r2964

http://vatoto.com/comic/_/comics/densha-otoko-net-hatsu-kakueki-teisha-no-love-story-r5162 (not complete on Batoto.......) http://www.mangahere.com/manga/densha_otoko_net_hatsu_kakueki_teisha_no_love_story/

[Comadrin]

Yeah, I really found myself getting into Hara Hidenori, too. I started with Hoshi no Furu Machi, and have been a fan ever since. I have been reading everything of his available since then. I am enjoying Fuyu Hanabi so far, and I like both the main characters. Especially with chapter 3 being posted, I am seeing the theme of hard working professionals being marginalized by the "suits." It seems to be a theme that every serious author wants to tackle at least once. Studio and publishing house executives have ruined more works of art and talented actors/writers than vandals attacking museums. Their money and financial background tell them that they are far more qualified to judge what is good art and what people really want than the authors, directors, screenwriters, and even the audience/readers.

A case in point: the original Star Trek television series only ran for three years. It was cancelled by the studio executives, who almost ensured its' demise by interfering in the screenwriting process during the third season. Their "improved" stories were pitiful, and a subject of laughter and derision among fans even now, 45 years later. This failed serialization has been re-run all over the world and was the catalyst for the rejuvenation of the television and movie science fiction scene. And yet, the wonderful American TV studios kept "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," and "Three's Company" running for season after season with the same tired, grey-whiskered plots. It is no wonder that many of the best films coming out of the US in the last 30 years have been made by independent startups with a shoestring budget, like Lucasfilm, Pixar, and other studios like that.

At any event, while there is a great deal of mainstream manga/manhwa that I like, I am heartened by the Korean Webtoons coming out, some of which are incredibly well done, which have bypassed the "cash-cow" censorship of publishing companies and their legions of "suits." And, I really like Fuyu Hanabi. I will also like it if some of the untranslated of the mangaka's 20 or so manga get scanlated and posted.

[svines85]

@Comadrin.....

I was really surprised by just how long this author had been writing. I think the oldest I saw was 1981 and was 17 volumes long. According to MU he was only 20 years old at the time. Pretty impressive.......and not to mention he's still working and writing steady to this day. This is his currently running work I believe.

http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=58857

[Canisferus]

A more recent show-destroyer was Fox's treatment of the scifi show "Firefly": showing the episodes out of sequence, changing viewing night and time. Firefly only lasted one season and IIRC, Fox wouldn't sell the show to anyone else. But then "Firefly" had this anti-war, "don't-trust-the-govt" theme going so of course Fox killed it.

[svines85]

A great new chapter, so maybe our MC actually has a shot at her? I wonder just how much that paparazzi pic is going to affect things....

[svines85]

Wow, that chapter sure had some ups and downs.........Gon's press conference was hilarious and then it ended on a potential tragic note.........

[Comadrin]

It definitely did. This manga is showing almost as much of the seamy side (or stupid management side) of the entertainment industry as Duction Man does. I personally think that paparazzi are scum of the earth, and anyone killing them in the execution of their disgusting activities should be given a medal rather than be prosecuted. After the events of the Murdoch phone hacking scandal, "mainstream" media seems to be just as bad. The old whine of "the people have a right to know" is fine when we're talking about misappropriation of government funds for someone's mansion or yacht, but "the people" have no right to know what others do in their private life, as long as they are not infringing on the rights of others or violating the law. Gossip rags are money machines preying on the desire of a large portion of the public to be voyeurs. As far as "entertainment reporters" go, they are among the lowest of the breed, and are the epitome of the human excrement described in Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry."

[svines85]

Yup, I'd have to agree with you.........a shame it's exactly what most people want though. Doesn't say a lot about society as a whole really. Celebrity........along with sex..........sells.

[Comadrin]

The latest chapter (7) has really brought things to a head. The TV producer is even more of a scumbag than he was portrayed as in earlier chapters, and the girl is standing on a cliff during a storm. I am hoping against hope that she isn't going to commit suicide, but that is what it looks like. I'm interested in the mc's 180 degree character turnabout. I'm thinking that he is going to do it for the girl's sake, and that he wants to be on television to send her a message. I notice that the TV promoters are turning a boxing match into a ridiculous media circus, complete with clowns. It really sends a message on how horrible the entertainment industry is.

[svines85]

Haha!! Yup, a circus is exactly it. Hopefully she'll get the message he's sending her, both with the television promo and the fight itself...........it could go either way I suppose, happy or tragic..........but whichever one it's going to happen quick, VIS says there are two chapters left now to completion.

[Comadrin]

Well, we were right that he's doing it for the girl's sake. I'm also glad that she didn't jump off the cliff into the ocean. Her reaction was pretty over the top, but she doesn't quite understand why he has done what he did, so that is understandable. I just feel really sorry for him going into the fight with one eye totally messed up from a bare knuckle hit (which does more damage than with gloves). I hope he manages to get some good hits in on the young pretty boy boxer (who is a bit of a scumbag for setting up a fight he is supposedly sure to win against an aging opponent). His fans and their vitriol are another thing I don't like about human nature. I love lots of sports, and have teams I like, but when the Red Sox (a time I've always liked) play the Yankees, I mainly want to see good baseball being played, not to release my hatred against the other team.

That's also why I don't belong to a political party. They think the same way. If some of my acquaintance had seen a newscast of G. W. Bush rescuing a child from drowning, they would say, "That showoff SOB, I'll bet he pushed the kid in there just to make some points. God, I hate him so much." If the other half of my acquaintance saw President Obama do the same thing, their remarks would be indistinguishable.

[svines85]

Wow, what a great little story. It had everything......... dramatic ups and downs, comedy, romance, even a flashy, (somewhat) unpredictable ending. Very good.

[Comadrin]

Yeah, I really liked the ending, too. I liked how it was really upbeat and yet realistic as well. Young spud boxer had a humiliating decision on points, rather than the walk-in-the-park KO he thought he would get. Less realistic manga (anything solely for the younger crowd) would have had Gonta turn into Godzilla with 8 ounce gloves and put young spud to sleep for a year. (I did see that kind of thing happen back in the 1970's. An over forty Jerry Quarry fought the 26 yr old number 6 ranked heavyweight in the world, and got punched around and cut up until the 5th or 6th round, when a single, straight right put no. 6 out cold! Of course, ten years before, Quarry had twice gone 12 rounds with Mohammed Ali.) I think the greatest thing about the ending was that Maki went on from where she had been kicked with a positive attitude, meaning that she had beat the scumbag producer who did the dirt on her. (I also just loved her costume!)

Edited by Comadrin, 16 January 2013 - 02:55 AM.

[Comadrin]

Just reread this manga.  It was a great Hara Hidenori story.  No overblown clichés, down to earth character real readers can identify with, a story that's all too common in our rather disgusting world, and a great, well-written ending.  Not to mention Hara sensei's great art.  If ya ain't read it before, read it damnit.  If you have, read it again and and revel in the "kicked down by suits" hard workers show their stuff.  One of the best cynical yet good endings in manga history.  Realism at its romantic best.

Edited by Comadrin, 18 April 2014 - 02:57 AM.