Comics / Manga

Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture Volume 1

By Leroy Douresseaux
December 6, 2009 - 18:21

Moyasimon Volume 1 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rating “T Ages 16+”

The manga, Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture, focuses its attention on Tadayasu Sôemon Sawaki, a young man with a bizarre secret: he has been able to see germs with his naked eye since he was child.  Now, a freshman college student at an agricultural college, Tadayasu finds that he has attracted a small circle of individuals interested in exploiting his special ability.  But all Tadayasu wants to do is find that cool college atmosphere.

As Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture, Vol. 1 opens, Tadayasu and childhood pal, Kei Yûki, arrive on campus for the school entrance ceremony… and immediately find themselves caught up in a missing persons case.  Tadayasu soon runs into Keizo Itsuki, a professor and old acquaintance of Tadayasu’s grandpa; Itsuki has big plans for Tadayasu’s ability to see microbes with the naked eye.  Eventually, Itsuki’s graduate assistant, Haruka Hasegawa; two enterprising second years, Kaoru Misato and Takuma Kawahama, and fellow freshman, Hazuki Oikawa, help form a small party exploring the world of microbiology with the help of their human microscope, Tadayasu Sawaki.

THE LOWDOWN:  Apparently, Moyasimon is something of a sensation in Japan, and even its American debut was heralded at Book Expo America 2009 and in Kirkus Reviews.  Just a cursory glance through this manga indicates that it is produced as if visual narrative perfection is the goal.  Creator Masayuki Ishikawa takes Moyasimon’s hook quite seriously, as the science of microbes suggests impeccable research.  I suspect that many American cartoonists would sell a kidney (or their souls) to have Ishikawa’s exceptional drawing abilities, because the art in this first volume is technically brilliant and visually dazzling.

With all that said, I find Moyasimon to be a bit cold.  Thus far, this series lacks heart – some kind of potent dramatic goal or conflict following Tadayasu.  There are few thrills, although the inventiveness on display is impressive.  Moyasimon is yet another offbeat comic book from a culture that produces eccentric and eclectic manga with seeming ease.  However, Moyasimon reads like an interesting, but ultimately empty Hollywood high concept.  As good as this is, it could do to get better.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Considering that many American comic book readers think offbeat means Warren Ellis writing an X-Men comic or Garth Ennis writing superhero comics, Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture may be a bit much for most tastes, except for people who usually read manga.

B+

 

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12