What do you think?
Rate this book
Walkin' Butterfly [ウォーキン･バタフライ] #1
Walkin' Butterfly
Michiko's height is matched only by her complex about it. While delivering pizzas at a fashion show she is mistaken for a model. Mihara, the show's designer, confronts her and tells her that she can't walk the catwalk. From that moment on, Michiko is determined to find her place in the world as a model. Can she find the inner strength to undergo a spectacular transformation? Is Michiko up to the challenge? Just try her.
- GenresMangaJoseiCollections
Paperback
First published August 22, 2007
55 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 11, 2012
It's rare to see any sort of fictional narrative that so honestly and frankly explores the self-hatred women often develop for their own bodies. (Without devolving into an Issue(tm) story.)
August 17, 2019
The art is way too brief and scantly rendered for my taste but I think that is necessary for the Japanese continuing volume market because it seems that books like this tend to get read much faster over there without stopping to really examine the art. That's what animation is for! But if you want to consume the amount of pages that crowd does then you don't have time to look at the art for its OWN sake.
The plotting of the story and the characters are very good but their execution in dialogue is only about as passable as the art.
I read this, along with many others that stand out on my list, to get insights into different kinds of people, especially females and non-Americans, for my own writing and I'm glad I did but I'll only be getting volume 2 if it's under $2 like I payed for this ($1.58= Better World Books 6 pack clearance discount plus tax)
The plotting of the story and the characters are very good but their execution in dialogue is only about as passable as the art.
I read this, along with many others that stand out on my list, to get insights into different kinds of people, especially females and non-Americans, for my own writing and I'm glad I did but I'll only be getting volume 2 if it's under $2 like I payed for this ($1.58= Better World Books 6 pack clearance discount plus tax)
January 11, 2020
2020 Read #59
Even if I can track down all the volumes in this series, I don’t know if I want to. I’m finding I don’t like the grit of certain josei manga (like those by Erica Sakurazawa, Moyoco Anno, and Kyoko Okazaki)...and this one reminded me of a pale imitation of such a manga. The art is not beautiful, the characters are unlikable, and the story — well, I would just rather reread Paradise Kiss. But what made me not give this one star was the interview with the manga-ka at the end of the volume. I wanted to support a creator like her because I felt a resonance with what she shared. Maybe someday I’ll read a manga from her that I enjoy more.
Even if I can track down all the volumes in this series, I don’t know if I want to. I’m finding I don’t like the grit of certain josei manga (like those by Erica Sakurazawa, Moyoco Anno, and Kyoko Okazaki)...and this one reminded me of a pale imitation of such a manga. The art is not beautiful, the characters are unlikable, and the story — well, I would just rather reread Paradise Kiss. But what made me not give this one star was the interview with the manga-ka at the end of the volume. I wanted to support a creator like her because I felt a resonance with what she shared. Maybe someday I’ll read a manga from her that I enjoy more.
October 6, 2019
Was going through my manga collection in the basement and found this. I like the main girl and her temper and brashness lol
February 14, 2023
to było szybkie, ale bardzo fajne
July 19, 2024
Pas fait pour moi 🙅🏻♀️🙅🏻♀️
October 30, 2010
I picked this volume up on a whim. The plotline appeared interesting & I was intrigued by the way the manga was packaged. The company didn't go with the typical size & appearance that many of the companies use as a standard nowadays in manga. Within minutes of opening the book, I found myself engrossed with the storyline & characters.
The story follows a young woman (Michiko) as she struggles to discover herself amid her own insecurities with her height, appearance, & life. It's not until she accidentally stumbles across a young designer's (Mihara) runway show that she decides to enter into the world of modeling. While the premise of this has been done before (and done to death) in various guises, this is the first series that takes such a gritty & unapologetic spin on it. There's no "magic move", no "hidden talent that appears to save the girl at the last moment", no "love & friendship conquers all", & no cutesy-cutesy character development that abounds with so many series put out. (Not that any of these are a bad thing, it's just that they are so common & tend to be overused.) In fact, Michiko is downright terrible when she first takes on the modeling world & is frequently turned down for jobs. She trains, yet doesn't immediately become a whiz immediately. It's refreshing to see a series that makes the character actually work for what they want & it's even more refreshing that they actually make it a real possibility that the main character could fail.
Another refreshing point to this series is that the characters are b*tchy, somewhat unlikeable, but completely compelling. All of the characters have some sort of flaw to them & some are downright unlikeable, but strangely enough, you can't help but root for them as the series progresses. It's that these characters are so unapologetically realistic & unwilling to conform that you can't help but grow attatched to them. The artwork is also a nice change of pace, as the artist never falls into the stereotypical design that many mangas seem to have today.
Would I recommend this series? That's a big YES! In fact, I already have one or two people I'm planning on telling about it already. I would recommend this to fans of series such as Paradise Kiss, as this series strongly reminded me of it. (This is like ParaKiss's older & more mature sibling.) I would also recommend that once people are done with this series that they check out other manga by the author. All of her work is very well done & of the same caliber quality.
The story follows a young woman (Michiko) as she struggles to discover herself amid her own insecurities with her height, appearance, & life. It's not until she accidentally stumbles across a young designer's (Mihara) runway show that she decides to enter into the world of modeling. While the premise of this has been done before (and done to death) in various guises, this is the first series that takes such a gritty & unapologetic spin on it. There's no "magic move", no "hidden talent that appears to save the girl at the last moment", no "love & friendship conquers all", & no cutesy-cutesy character development that abounds with so many series put out. (Not that any of these are a bad thing, it's just that they are so common & tend to be overused.) In fact, Michiko is downright terrible when she first takes on the modeling world & is frequently turned down for jobs. She trains, yet doesn't immediately become a whiz immediately. It's refreshing to see a series that makes the character actually work for what they want & it's even more refreshing that they actually make it a real possibility that the main character could fail.
Another refreshing point to this series is that the characters are b*tchy, somewhat unlikeable, but completely compelling. All of the characters have some sort of flaw to them & some are downright unlikeable, but strangely enough, you can't help but root for them as the series progresses. It's that these characters are so unapologetically realistic & unwilling to conform that you can't help but grow attatched to them. The artwork is also a nice change of pace, as the artist never falls into the stereotypical design that many mangas seem to have today.
Would I recommend this series? That's a big YES! In fact, I already have one or two people I'm planning on telling about it already. I would recommend this to fans of series such as Paradise Kiss, as this series strongly reminded me of it. (This is like ParaKiss's older & more mature sibling.) I would also recommend that once people are done with this series that they check out other manga by the author. All of her work is very well done & of the same caliber quality.
May 28, 2008
I really wanted to like this, but it was disappointing. What starts out as a promising read about a six-foot tall japanese girl who hates how she sticks out (hah) never really goes beyond the initial premise.
Her character is solely and entirely defined by the fact she hates how tall she is and wants to be a normal girl, and there's no character development beyond that. The solution to her problems seems to be she needs to become a successful model, but is that the only way for her to live with herself? It seems flat, and unless there's some sort of amazing twist in volume two, it's safe to say you should pass this and read Skip Beat! instead.
Stellar cover art though. Shame the story couldn't live up to the art.
Her character is solely and entirely defined by the fact she hates how tall she is and wants to be a normal girl, and there's no character development beyond that. The solution to her problems seems to be she needs to become a successful model, but is that the only way for her to live with herself? It seems flat, and unless there's some sort of amazing twist in volume two, it's safe to say you should pass this and read Skip Beat! instead.
Stellar cover art though. Shame the story couldn't live up to the art.
December 28, 2016
I read this because it came in an anime surprise box that was one of my Christmas gifts. The main character seems to have some major body and self worth issues that are rehashed on just about every page. Otherwise there is little to no character development or forward progress in the story. I don't know if that changes as the series continues given this left me with no desire to find the rest of the series to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2011
I've read few manga or few books which are so blunt and so honest about women's discomfort with and hatred of their own bodies, of the persistent sense that our skin and muscle and bone and fat are just ugly ugly wrong wrong wrong.
http://coffeeandink.livejournal.com/7...
http://coffeeandink.livejournal.com/7...
August 22, 2015
Love the art and the clarity in the script, but really? Michiko has no idea what a model is? And she's not a teenager, but she's utterly obsessed with how she's slightly taller than everyone else and no one will ever love her because of it. She needs therapy, not a modelling job.
September 18, 2016
This is so cute!
And I adore the art. :)
And I adore the art. :)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews