Garden Dreams Mini Review (manga)
November 25th, 2007 by Lianne
PG-13/16 for violence, sexuality, and sadness; official series website
I keep putting off talking about Fumi Yoshinaga on this website because I want to do a long, detailed article on all of her works in English. But why wait? Let’s just talk about her now.
At this point in time, Fumi Yoshinaga is better at making manga than almost anybody else on earth. Every time something new of hers comes out, I have to go back and re-read everything else she’s written because I refuse to read manga that’s not written by her. Then the feeling slowly wears off, and I can start reading other manga again. Until another volume of hers is published and the whole cycle starts over again.
Anyway, most of her stuff is Boy’s Love and/or adult, so not everything she does is mainstream. But Garden Dreams is one of those rare, non-BL PG-13 titles of hers, and thus should be read by everyone. It’s a sad little one-volume tale about love and loss possibly taking place during the Crusades (not sure; there are feudal Western lords and Arabic bedouin in it), and I can’t tell you anything else without spoiling it. It’s not her best work ever, but it’s still more than decent for her, which makes it light years beyond most other manga on the market. Just read it. Go!
Educated impression: Didn’t you hear me? Go! (Lianne)