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Chika Shiomi Appreciation Week

1 June 2009 3 Comments

Chika Shiomi may not enjoy the same name recognition as Matsuri Hino, but like her better-known colleague, Shiomi specializes in a particular kind of supernatural drama that pits a plucky, pretty — but not too pretty — girl against demonic forces. More often than not, the heroine has a helpful gift — the ability to see ghosts or a talent for slaying vampires — and a handsome love interest who isn’t entirely trustworthy, often because he’s a demon or vampire himself. Though Hino and Shiomi don’t skimp on the horror element, their stories emphasize emotion over blood-letting, focusing primarily on the heroine’s struggle to reconcile her world-saving duties with her attraction to a [fill in the type of evil, supernatural being].

Given the popularity of Hino’s Vampire Knight, I find it odd that more teens haven’t discovered Shiomi’s work. Shiomi has a flair for drawing great-looking characters and telling genre-bending stories that mix action, horror, romance, and comedy to good effect. Though her heroines swoon, they’re tougher and more resourceful than Hino’s leads; Shiomi’s girls can throw a punch or wield a stake if the situation demands it without breaking a nail or losing a button from their favorite shirt.

The June 3rd release of Shiomi’s Rasetsu seemed as good an excuse as any to celebrate this under-appreciated artist, so I’m declaring this Chika Shiomi Appreciation Week. Look for reviews of Canon (CMX), Night of the Beasts (Go! Comi), and Yurara (VIZ), as well as the first volumes of Queen of Ragtonia (Aurora) and, of course, Rasetsu (VIZ).

3 Comments »

  • Lori Henderson said:

    I’m in total agreement with on Shiomi. I discovered her through Shojo Beat with their preview of Yurara. I’ve since gotten and read Canon and am currently trying to collect Night of the Beasts. She’s got such great characters, and the way she works in the humor with the horror is perfect. And Rasetsu appears to be another great read.

    # 1 June 2009 at 12:07 PM
  • Katherine Dacey (author) said:

    Totally agree about the humor/horror elements, especially in Yurara. (I didn’t find the comic-relief sidekick as effective in Canon — then again, the story was a lot more dramatic.) I haven’t quite finished Rasetsu, so it will be interesting to compare the two series…

    # 1 June 2009 at 10:41 PM
  • MangaBlog » Blog Archive » BEA, new manga, Yun Kouga coming to Anime Expo said:

    [...] Kate Dacey declares this to be Chika Shiomi Appreciation Week at The Manga Critic and kicks things off with a look at vols. 1-5 of Yurara. Greg McElhatton takes [...]

    # 3 June 2009 at 6:41 AM