In order to face and capture the terrible Banshee lurking inside Lewis Carroll's urn, Thomas helps Megan enter yet another realm in the afterlife of Merridiah. What the two aren't prepared for is the release of an eternal entity once thought lost with Merridiah University's heart. Forever, transformed by the encounter, Megan now seeks to discover the dark secret Dane has walled up inside his boutique in the deep, dark realm far below Merridiah. The synopsis is by Emily Wing. Volume three starts by following Caroline, a muse for murderers, as she searches for AJ. She finds him in the Well of Armour, musing his children clients as he's supposed to. The purpose of Caroline's visit is to make sure AJ is doing his job, but she then reveals that she has been appointed to drown Megan if the new Shutterbox fails in capturing the Banshee within the next two hours. AJ cunningly stalls Caroline by casting a spell on her while telling his family history. His original family name is Cr'Nadiahl, and the family belonged to the Gothenmello people, thus he's been connected to all things "goth" throughout his various reincarnations. After telling his tale, AJ releases Caroline from his spell, which has kept her for three hours, an hour past Megan's deadline. As soon as Caroline dashes off, AJ makes a call to Thomas. Turning back the clock one hour before the deadline, Megan is writing her thoughts in her diary. She writes how she's confused about her task, AJ, and how she felt after hearing the news that Dagny is dead. Though sad about her friend's death, Megan strengthens her will to live. She contemplates why she was chosen as Merridiah's anchor to Earth and several other questions, which lead her to wonder why Dane wishes to erase her existence. She also remembers meeting a strange boy while in Adrien's garden. Then she writes about her dorm, and its strange paranormal characteristics. Her writing wanders back to her strengthening will to live. Suddenly, Thomas enters. He tells her she's out of time, and they have to go into the urn to capture the banshee before Caroline arrives. They enter the urn just before Caroline enters to the now vacant room. Inside the urn, Megan and Thomas have been separated, but her camera ghost keeps her company. Thom arrives, and reveals that the Author's urn contains the soul of the writer and his creations. Thom notices the camera ghost, but will not tell Megan or the ghost anything. They then find the banshee harassing more of Lewis Carroll's characters. Thom tells Megan to ignore the banshee, which will weaken it enough to allow them to capture it. The banshee notices them and tries to get them to pay attention to her and strengthen its power, but they stand strong. Unfortunately, the characters pay attention to the banshee again. Megan pulls out her camera ghost, which manifests into human form. The ghost captures the banshee within Megan's camera. However, Megan is mortally wounded by the banshee's scream. Thomas reveals that the camera ghost is really Laahli, the "castle wrecker, the queen to Kideon's kingship." Thomas reveals that the ones who slew Laahli were of Damien, and Adrien's family line. As punishment, King Kideon put a curse on the family, which chained Adrien and Damien to Merridiah, and had their most precious traits Adrien lost his sense of responsibility, while Dane lost his conscience. Laahli reveals that she has been a spirit within everything of Merridiah, and entered the camera after parts of her were collected in Megan's pictures. To save her life, Megan and Laahli merge. They leave the urn in search of AJ. Meanwhile, AJ is in his garden as the dragon, Phaa, arrives with a flock of Beebos. Phaa turns out to be the boy who Megan met before, and the Beebos change into children. Phaa flies off to watch for Dane, and AJ hands out books about building stairwells to each child. By being their secret muse AJ has been trying to free the children, Dane's children, from the family curse of being trapped in Immiserriah. He encourages the children to read just when he receives the call from Thom. Dane stops him. Megan and Thom enter the garden through teleportation, but AJ is nowhere to been found. While searching, they encounter a young boy, who, by the rules, cannot say his name. The boy directs Megan and Thom to a door, through which the boy cannot enter, but AJ did. As soon as Megan and Thom leave, the boy is revealed to be Khaa, the crow that represents Dane's conscience. The door has led Megan and Thom to Immiserriah and Dane's boutique. The Beebos children appear and address Megan as their mother. They take her to where Dane is drowning AJ in an effort to send him back to Earth for another eighteen years. Dane reveals that he and Megan shared a past life together in which they sired the eight children. Megan and the children left Dane, but drowned on the way to America. Dane attacks both AJ and Megan, attempting to drown them, and keep the children for himself. Laahl...
I originally read this series when it was still being published by TokyoPop. Even though I was never a fan of American manga I found myself enjoying this work and looking forward to future volumes. How sad it was when the anime bubble burst and this series was quickly canceled before it reached the end. Recently on a whim I looked up the series online and found that they had continued the series years later, publishing it for themselves in an online PDF format. So here I am at the start of this entertaining series again, reading and reviewing it years after I first picked up the first volume.
What made these five volumes a pleasure to read was the world setting and the art. The world is fleshed out with many interesting details and is very original in its design. In fact it can be a little overwhelming at first because it is so unlike any other world I have encountered in fantasy fiction. A little brain power is needed to follow along as the world unfolds in the story, but luckily the author includes more detailed descriptions of the world and characters at the start and end of each volume.
The art itself is also a real pleasure to examine. The work is detailed and full of ambiance that really draws out the tone of the story. This is not the work of a lazy artist. One look at the backgrounds and the lush costumes is enough to show you what I mean. What I like the best about the art myself though is how well it captures the delicate emotions of this story, such as the melancholy of the characters or the otherworldliness of the creatures and denizens of the spiritual world. Each is familiar yet disturbing and alien, enough to engage but also unsettle.
Unfortunately the story writing does not quite keep up with the art and ambiance. Even five volumes in (of this six volume arc) the plot is hard to find or connect with. While the characters can be fun what they do lacks weight and urgency. What is the bad they are trying to avoid? What is the good they are hoping to achieve? It is difficult to tell, and most of the time it doesn't even matter. If this was a simple written story, without the art to bolster it, I worry that it might become a little bit boring. Or maybe it is the art itself that is the problem because it distracts the writer from exploring the motivations and feelings and thoughts of the characters that are obviously so important to what is going on here.
While it can be enjoyable to watch the characters interact some of the characters are prone to long monologues. These monologues are meant to explain certain things but they can be difficult to slog through sometimes (even other characters complain of being bored by them). Fortunately the diary entries, written by the main character and sprinkled throughout the books, provide a useful window into what is happening and they are much easier to read and enjoy.
I recommend this series to any lovers of unusual and gothic fantasy. While the writing can slow things down the world, the art, and the characters themselves more than make up for it.
I love this! An academy for muses! What could be more delightful? The dark, gothic atmosphere, combined with the strange, semantics - based allegories, twisted word plays and puns that border on the ridiculous, the fantastical fantasy landscapes and settings, the escapist metaphors of dreams paralleled with death and suicide... oh, I REALLY love it! I think you might have to be a little weird to really get into this - but in a good way! The characters are great, I'm quite curious about Damien - I love that he's a liar, and he can't enter the Mindfield, because Khaa, the crow that's his conscience, will attack him - it's just the sort of word play and metaphor-turned-literal that gets the little hamster in my imagination to start scampering on its wheel! It's also beautifully drawn, and the dialogue is very straight forward (even when it's not!), so it is a very quick read. I was thoroughly entertained, and my own muse got a delightful play date in the realm of Meridiah! So inspiring! I'm looking so forward to the next book, I am particularly curious about Adrian, the Angel of Childhood's End ~ what a magnificently melancholy title! I can't wait!
3.75 Decided to take a break from princess Ai because I couldn't take it anymore and wow, was this a breath of fresh air: passionate authors and an interesting concept /story. There were some minor "eh" moments but I'm still seriously impressed.
There are 5 senses inside humans, humans are inside the 9 dimensions, the 9 dimensions are inside the universe, and the universe is inside the infinite multiverse.... and so on. This is the world of Merridiah. A world within worlds that only the dead can visit... except for Megan. She is a Shutterbox exchange student, the only living girl inside Merridiah. Her purpose? To learn how to become a muse, a living one. Unlike the rest of her peers, Megan will be about to use her powers on Earth to physically help others... to inspire them and their works.
The world that Shutterbox presents is vast and unique. And its characters are very quirky to say the least. There is the moody and mischievous Dane, the playful A.J. and a ton of other fun supporting characters that will entertain you to no end. The drawing in this volume are exquisite. Megan is almost like a living doll with her clothes being very reminiscent of Victorian period dresses.
The novel is a quick and engaging read that will capture your attention with its details and beautiful drawings. Shutterbox is sure to please those looking for adventure in another world and those who enjoy school settings with a paranormal twist.
This book is about a girl who has been invited to be an exchange student at the university for dead spirits. The university's students act as muses for people back on Earth until it is time for them to be reincarnated.
This volume deals with finding the university, realizing that it is real, and being sent out to find one of the university stewards in the "mindfields". In addition to all the stuff she has to deal with in the real world, like her self-absorbed mother, and the therapist her mom insists she see.
Art: Highly exaggerated an American attempted at manga style coming off as more cartoony and odd good for comedy manga but to bad this is a romance/ Fantasy B-
Characters: Megan is a girl who has am messed up life blah blah blah she isn't unique there is nothing about her to make her likeable or otherwise she is just there as the MC but really why? The characters are hardly explained who's who and why Two characters meet and it seems they know each other but nothing made sense as to how the characters were dull and flat D-
Story: Another “what?” story the premies is interesting a girl goes to a magical school in her sleep this should be amazing instead its a hot mess. This whole book is nothing but an explanation of what the world is and how it works but even that it fails at. The characters are blaned and the ONE interesting thing is jossed up. This story is to many questions mainly how do the two MC's know each other as well as the mystery for the one character. Bland characters and sloppy transition it was hard to tell what was happening in a dream, present time or a flashback things that could have been foreshadowing was lost in transition and it just was a big mess of “what did you just read?” The bad language while tolerable was unnecessary and came off as the author trying to be “cool” D
Cover: A hot good looking blue haired punk with a saint statue behind him this cover is fascinating and really draws you in very goth like and eye catching sadly the story inside doesn't fit this spooky awesome cover B
Rating: T for teen
Company: Tokyopop (out of business)
My rating : 2 of 5 This was annoying and the only good thing was the question of why he killed himself but sadly the lack of proper plot, storyline, characterization, character relationships etc make this a fail that I will just (and probably have) wiki for the answer
Shutterbox fell in a category that I avoid when it comes to manga, gratuitously over the top. I’ve seen this series on shelves for the longest time and it wasn’t until I found a copy in my own store that I decided to try it, now I sort of wish I had left it alone.
When I say gratuitous I mean it. Megan Amano ,wants to be photographer but she’s a bit spacey when it comes to pretty much everything. She over exaggerates and freaks out at the smallest thing. The story itself has a pretty interesting concept. She finds herself at Meridian University, where spirits go to be educated before they are reborn into the world of the living. Megan is taken there while she is still alive, because apparently they have this weird exchange student program…oookay, I’ll go with it. Unfortunately I didn’t see much of an answer to any of the questions I had in this one. The characters are sort of stereotypical and sort of bland, and after 160 pages of this I’m not sure I want to know anymore about them.
Shutterbox was sort of a disappointment on numerous levels. While the art is pretty good, I just didn’t care much about anything else. The story is boring but exaggerated and the characters are just not worth connecting to. I won’t be picking up volume 2.
I was not expecting to like this, much less get sucked into its story fairly quickly! But Shutterbox has caught me by surprise! The art is cute in a whimsical, perkigoth sort of way, and while not much happens in the plot of the story in this first volume (it's mostly just set-up and backstory) there's plenty of intrigue among the flying plot bunnies to rope you in and keep you wondering what happens next. I almost wish I'd read this when I was younger, but I don't know if I would have given it even half the credit it deserves for its creativity back then. So glad I picked this up! And you'd better believe I'm going to get the rest of volumes when I can!
Shutterbox is very artsy by comparison, with one of the main characters committing suicide almost immediately (well, in a flashback), setting the tone for a much darker story than not. It's still fun, but not... FUN—there are cute Beebos and Hyperpans, but a large part of the story is about how Adrien (AJ) is the Angel of Childhood's End and that's why he "always" kills himself before he can fully "grow up."
It's like, I like it, but I don't know if I can *like* it. I'm a bit past the Goth Stage (some people don't outgrow that, and that's fine! ...but I did), so the story feels nostalgic in a way I don't miss but don't mind visiting.
The art is GORGEOUS, of course, when it's not simply cute or funny. I'm not sure who I would recommend should read this, though, which is part of the problem when trying to get them more much needed fans.
I picked this up because the blurb was interesting and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The subtitle "Orientation" fits this perfectly. The way it was done makes me think it's a great start to a series. Information was given while still leaving questions unanswered, setting up future volumes (at least, I hope they will be answered in future volumes). The introduction of the characters, including Megan Amano, the main character, were all a bit shallow so I hope more information is given about them. The graphics were amazing. This was an extremely quick read and because it's so out of my comfort zone I feel like it was a excellent palate cleanser. Overall, I thought Shutterbox Volume 1 was really nice and it left me intrigued. I definitely want to get my hands on the other volumes.
got the first three from this series thinking it was going to be a light read. the whole thing is so nonsensical that it was painful to get through the 160 pages of the first one. the art style hasn’t aged well either.
Intriguing but it feels like there's too much exposition leading into the meat of the story. For only a small number of volumes I think the setup was a little too long and I have too many questions. I might feel differently at the end, but we'll see.
I was only able to find chapter 1 online but I’m sure it would have been a good story to see what Megan’s sees in terms of the guy going into the ocean..
Synopsis: On the night she graduates high school, Megan Amano begins dreaming that she travels to a remote school known as Merridiah University. Merridiah is for those in the afterlife, where they learn to become muses and whisper inspiration to those still living on Earth. Megan has been chosen as a ‘Shutterbox exchange student’, where she will learn to become a living muse. However, Megan learns that being a student in the afterlife is harder than she thought. This manga is rated T for teen, ages 13 and up.
Review: This story is told in a nontraditional manga format, i.e. it reads from left to right like a normal book; rather than in the traditional Japanese manga format or right to left. The story is unique and the artwork is beautiful and detailed. My only gripe is that with how the manga panels are placed, it is sometimes hard to read and I found I’d have to reread the panels in a different order to have it make sense. However, there is lots of side information such as drawings and random author thoughts and explanations as to what is happening in some of the panels. These can distract from the story, but I found it more useful honestly. I love how all the characters have distinct and precise personalities you see right away. AJ is laid back and just wants to be free to run among the Hyper Pans (half-goat/half-human looking beings). Damien is self-centered and highly sarcastic. While Megan is aloof and quite confused almost the entire story. Since the story is told mainly from her point of view, her confusion as to what is going on in her dreams and discovering more about Merridiah can make the reader feel confused as to what is going on as well. We only get as much information about what is going on as Megan does, which can make you feel more engrossed in the world of Merridiah, or more confused as to what the heck is going on in this book!
It's a great premise, and if cutesy-tootsie heroines who overcome adversity by stomping their feet and talking to birds does not make your eyes roll out of your head, this is the book for you. There's a lot of Goth themes (my mom sucks, this world is boring, wouldn't be awesome if I fell in love with a ghost, etc.) but more of a Hello Kitty attitude.
The grating character development and dialogue aside, the art is downright beautiful. The talent is in the pictures.
But, there isn't enough for me to pursue the series.
I clearly had a different response the first time I read this because I bought the next volume, which, if I recall correctly, is better. Part of the problem here is that there's a lot of setup going on but not very much explication leaving things in a bit of a confusing muddle. I finished this feeling that I still don't really know what's going on. The premise is intriguing but I'm looking forward to re-reading the next couple volumes and remembering what the heck is actually happening.
I want to like this series. There's something that makes me want to keep reading it, but there's also something that keeps me from doing so. I honestly appreciate the art and the general premise of the story, but something seems a little off about "Shutterbox."
I'm going to give it another try, someday soon, but I don't think it'll rank up there with my favorites, unfortunately.
I feel like there wasn't enough content for it to be rated higher than a 3 and let's be honest, it's pretty weird. I don't like any of the characters that much, including Megan. Yet at the same time it was amusing and intriguing and it made me laugh (maybe not the most appropriate response, I don't know. I like the idea that Damien can't get into the Mindfield because his conscience is there - that was quite interesting! So yeah, I guess I'll read the next one and see what happens. :)
A fun, promising first volume! This is an American comic done in manga style, so expect the art to reflect that. I liked the art and found it suited the tone of the story well, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea. This first volume was nothing spectacular, but I definitely enjoyed it and I'd like to read the rest of the series!
An interesting little Manga that goes in a different direction of many... the only problem is that finding the rest of the series was near impossible at the time at reasonable prices.
It's interesting but a bit confusing, although nothing major happens in the first volume. Girl just finds out she's in training to be a muse and a dude always dies.