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Reviewed by Dan Polley Psychic abilities combine with elements of science fiction and just characters who seem far too distant in the seventh volume of Fuyumi Soryo’s ES. Isaac is the clone of Shuro, brothers who are genetic experiments. Yet while Shuro wants to try his best to live with humans, Isaac simply wants to experiment with violence. Through the course of the volume, Isaac tries to lure Shuro and Mine out to try to kill them. Yet the two must find ways to fight back against Isaac — for their sake and for the sake of everyone else. While the elements of psychic functionality and science fiction are blended well and serve as the highlights of this volume, the characterization is just far too muted to feel as though the book comes together with any sort of cohesiveness. Instead, the characters feel far too rigid, as though they are stick figures whose emotions mean nothing — because they have none. But the characters in ES certainly are full of emotions. It’s just that they rarely show them. Facial expressions almost never change, especially among the primary characters. And it’s hard to feel the story works as a unit when it’s emotionally driven and yet emotionally aloof. The art really isn’t spectacular either. It does its job by adding visual elements, but none of those elements really stand out from the pages. ES could be much better than what it is. It’s OK to put characterization secondary to the plot if the plot can serve without it. In the case of ES, it’s hard to argue that it can, especially in this volume. As it is, it’s barely mediocre. Comment on this review of ES v7 on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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