Sei: Death & Legend

by Sho Murase

Set in the timeless world of Japanese Mythology, Sei tells the story of the uncertain origin of the Japanese equivalent of Death, the female Grim Reaper. Sei is an epic legend about love and betrayal taking place in a world of Gods, Goddesses and mythical creatures. Tsuchi, the fire goddess, tells the story of how her birth caused the death of her mother, Izanami. Izanagi is so distraught by his wife's death that he goes berserk. His desire to be reunited with Izanami brings him to the farthest reaches of the Netherlands where no mortal may fear to tread. A battle of epic proportions ensues in which mythical Japan will never be the same... but was Sei formerly Izanami, the primordial goddess and personification of the Earth and darkness...?

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Comics

64 pages, Paperback

First published November 26, 2003

Reviews

[Carmela Berkhouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

constant spelling & grammatical errors mixed with improper writing throughout. on top of that, it’s so self indulgent in its overly thorough storytelling, leaving nothing to the imagination and telling much more than it’s showing. got it for the interesting art, but the “interesting” part didn’t show up right until the end. i’d continue this series but i’m really unsure how much that would be worth my time haha

[Weslyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m conflicted on this one. I was intrigued by the story itself, but found myself distracted by the repeated spelling and grammar errors of the dialogue. I also found the art style used in telling the legend more visually pleasing than the style used in the rest of the comic.

[Mely · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is a confused and amateurish retelling of Japanese creation myths, obviously influenced in tone and style by Neil Gaiman}'s [book:The Sandman series, but not incorporating its influences well. The proofreading is abominable.

And none of this matters because the art is gorgeous. Murase's swirling lines and extravagant colors are less like manga or traditional comics than Art Deco, or Klimt; the layering of patterns and the design of shapes is just as beautiful as the flow of the lines.

The art, like the storytelling, wears its influences a little too obviously, but it's a first work; I am looking forward to see how Murase's style has matured and developed by Me2.

[Lady Entropy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the design, but it's so amateurishly painted that I can't give it a "good artwork" grade (even if the front cover is kinda cute). There is so much obvious photochoppin', so much copy pasting that it is distracting.

Also, why use Japanese words if you translate them below? Just write in English.

The story was... a retelling of Shinjo legends, but not particularly originally well done. The Dream Hunters this is not.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art was very pretty to look at, but the editing was terrible.