Panorama Tōkitan (The Strange Tale of Panorama Island, パノラマ島綺譚), 2007, Maruo, Suehiro (Art), Edogawa, Ranpo (Story), Comic Beam
STORY: 8
Meet Hitomi Hirosuke, a poor writer struggling to get by. One day, his fortune changes when news of an old schoolmate who looks like his spiting image reach him! If you know the author, you can expect a wild quality-ride to the realms of desire, madness, and grandeur! There is, however, almost none of the disturbing content the author is famous for, which makes this title a nice introduction to the genre of erotic-grotesque, also know as ero-guro in Japan.
ART: 9
The great story certainly gets its power from the fantastic art. People, objects, landscapes, lush dreams, all combine on panels that for many could be sold as paintings. The contrast between the woodprint-like old-school settings of last century Japan and the underlying tension is pure mastery.
POLITICAL POTENTIAL: 6
Not much, but watching the social ascension of the main character through madness and greed is an interesting alternative to the usual ‘climbing the social ladder through hard work’. It is also subversive to see our hero burn all his money, made from the industrial success of a capitalist, into creating an island that embodies art without any economic value. Workers are paid to create a vision of Eden where they frolic naked, have orgies, and maintain a landscape that is purely aesthetic: there is no economic productivity.
FEMINISM: 5
For once, the author spared us from the rape, pedophilia or barbarism of his other works, thanks. Despite the over present male-gaze, the tragic fate of the wife Chiyoko gets quite some sympathy instead of the often gratuitous cruelty that occurs in the ero-guro genre.
CONCLUSION: 7
Come for the art, stay for the story, Panorama Toukitan is a strong title and a soft introduction to the world of ‘grotesque’ manga!
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