Mujirushi: The Sign of Dreams

This is a bit odd, almost sinking under the weight of all the things going on here.

First, this is part of the Louvre collection of graphic novels, which commissions artists from around the world to create stories inspired by the French museum and/or its contents.

Having taken up the baton, Naoki Urasawa decided to combine his Louvre tale with a homage to a 1960s Japanese manga series, Osomatsu-kun. I at least had a passing familiarity with Astro boy when he did a similar thing with Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka. This time though I had never heard of the series or the side character, Iyama, who is featured here, so that whole aspect was lost on me. Also, it's weird and discomforting that Iyami's character design looks exactly like the offensive show more and racist caricatures from World War II comic books and propaganda that we routinely condemn today.

Homage is also paid to Maria Callas, the opera singer, just because, in a way that will be lost on non-Japanese speakers until it is explained in the back of the book.

Finally, for a villain, Urasawa horrifically decides to mash 2016 rivals Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump together, giving us orange-skinned, pant-suit-wearing U.S. President Beverly Duncan. Brrr.

In between all this baggage, he does manage to squeeze a sweet story about a little Japanese girl trying to help her father navigate a midlife crisis as his business verges on bankruptcy, his life leaves him, and his only way out seems to be an outrageous art heist plot being offered by a mysterious stranger. It's confusing at times, but if you lay a Coen brothers vibe over it, it sort of works. show less

I'm always here for a heist, so this intrigued me immediately. That being said, this was unexpected in a lot of ways. Based on the subject and the art style, I thought it might be a little bleak, but it's actually a really hopeful and tender exploration of dreams deferred and the lengths people will go to for family or even the memory of family. The characters are really well sketched both literally and figuratively, having totally understandable motivations even as they're thrust into this bizarre situation. I also found the subplot with the US presidential candidate pretty hilarious, and loved how it all tied together in the end. I'm really excited to check out more work by Naoki Urasawa.

Recommended for anyone who wants a hard luck show more story with a twist and a little magical realism. show less

A brisk story told in a single omnibus volume. Charming, and comedic with a driving mystery that demands to be unravelled. The sympathetic characters make up for the convoluted and coincidence ridden plot and messy resolution. Mujirushi will appeal to Francofiles and art history buffs as well as heist movie fans.

Urasawa combina una trama criminal con un drama familiar y una intriga política, todo ello enlazado por el misterio que domina como nadie. Esta vez todo está compactado en un tomo de "solo" 270 páginas con lo que el ritmo es más rápido de lo habitual en él y aunque no faltan los momentos de tensión, el argumento es más ligero y menos dramático que en otras ocasiones, pese a ello, creo que el manga no se resiente en absoluto y es tan absorbente como las obras más famosas del autor. Por supuesto, el dibujo es tan brillante como de costumbre.

Tratto sempre di livello altissimo, sempre riconoscibile e affascinante, anche se per certi anche troppo simile ad Asadora!
La storia un po’ meh, non mi ha appassionato od incuriosito particolarmente. Ho letto che è stato fatto in collaborazione con il Louvre è un po’, l’effetto lavoro su commissione, si sente.

This story could hilariously be summed into: Listen to the little girl. Overall, a quirky tale.