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Voiceful
ネットの中だけで歌を発表するシンガー・陽菜と、彼女に憧れる内向的な少女・かなえ。出会うはずのない二人が、ふとしたきっかけで出会い、互いを強く求めるようになる…。表題作ほか、少女同士の深く強い絆をテーマにした傑作短編集!!
184 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 12 reviews
December 15, 2017
3/10
Hina perdió a su hermana mayor siendo una niña, y como ella no sabía como relacionarse con las personas, esa perdida supuso el fin de su felicidad pero el principio de un sueño, cantar es su modo de llegar al cielo.
Kanae es una chica que lleva años encerrada en su casa, convirtiéndose en una HIKKIKOMORI (adolescentes y adultos que se ven abrumados por la sociedad y se sienten incapaces de cumplir los roles sociales que se esperan de ellos, reaccionando con un aislamiento social), hasta que un día, Internet le descubre la música de Hina, y con ello, el deseo de salir a la calle.
En uno de esos días por casualidad, Hina se encuentra con Kanae y Kanae reconoce a la Diva Mítica por su voz. Desde ese momento ambas se hacen amigas.
**
Este ha sido el primer manga que he leído de Nawoko, pero siento decir que no voy a repetir. El manga es bueno pero no me ha convencido su modo de cerrar sus tramas. La historia consta de unos 4 o 5 capítulos, y se cierra cuando todavía han quedado demasiadas cosas por decir. Y para que la historia ocupe más, se incluyen varios relatos de shojo-ai entre chicas, relatos que no leí porque me aburrían en las primeras páginas.
Se supone que este manga es un yuri, la propia autora dice que se publicó en una revista oficial del género, pero yo durante todo el tomo solo he sentido que Hina y Kanae eran como dos hermanas, sin añadir que en realidad el tomo no tiene elementos románticos, por lo que no comprendo de donde viene la idea de la autora de que Voiceful sea un yuri (es un género que nunca he leído tampoco).
La historia en sí, y las dos protagonistas son buenas, no tengo pegas en ese sentido. Durante los capítulos se suceden una serie de reflexiones que me gustaron y que me parecieron refrescantes porque nos acercan a una realidad teñida de dolor y de realismo, aquí no hay comicidad, ambas chicas han vivido a corta edad determinadas cosas que las han marcado muchísimo y que las han llevado a desarrollar una fobia social.
Las dos comparten ese lazo, ese problema de miedo a acercarse a otra persona, de falta y deseo y rechazo a la comunicación. Las dos usan internet para acercarse al mundo, pero también para encerrarse aún más dentro del dolor de sus mentes.
Realmente, como este es un tema muy serio, y está tratado con seriedad, me habría gustado que todo no se hubiera resuelto de un modo tan sencillo. Pero es verdad que me alegro de que ambas empiecen a perder ese dolor que cargan en sus hombros. Son demasiado jovenes para aislarse del mundo.
El manga resalta la necesidad que las personas tienen de ser escuchadas, entendidas, y queridas, pero también el pánico absoluto a toda comunicación, o a romper la burbuja que protege de sentir, de vivir en sí.
Las protagonistas, Hina y Kanae, como digo, yo solo las vi como dos personas que se necesitan porque se ven reflejadas, tanto en dolor, como en la necesidad de vincularse a algo. A mis ojos son dos hermanas, y no dos posibles novias. La relación entre ambas también debo decir que me decepcionó mucho porque solo fueran amigas durante un capítulo y después Hina la echó de su vida para centrarse en su carrera, volviendo a romper el poco vinculo creado.
Las ilustraciones no son nada del otro mundo, pero sus reflexiones son interesantes como digo. La obra es diferente a lo que a veces encontramos en el mercado, así que si le dais una oportunidad puede que os guste. A mi no me ha dejado huella, pero no ha estado mal por leer algo.
Hina perdió a su hermana mayor siendo una niña, y como ella no sabía como relacionarse con las personas, esa perdida supuso el fin de su felicidad pero el principio de un sueño, cantar es su modo de llegar al cielo.
Kanae es una chica que lleva años encerrada en su casa, convirtiéndose en una HIKKIKOMORI (adolescentes y adultos que se ven abrumados por la sociedad y se sienten incapaces de cumplir los roles sociales que se esperan de ellos, reaccionando con un aislamiento social), hasta que un día, Internet le descubre la música de Hina, y con ello, el deseo de salir a la calle.
En uno de esos días por casualidad, Hina se encuentra con Kanae y Kanae reconoce a la Diva Mítica por su voz. Desde ese momento ambas se hacen amigas.
**
Este ha sido el primer manga que he leído de Nawoko, pero siento decir que no voy a repetir. El manga es bueno pero no me ha convencido su modo de cerrar sus tramas. La historia consta de unos 4 o 5 capítulos, y se cierra cuando todavía han quedado demasiadas cosas por decir. Y para que la historia ocupe más, se incluyen varios relatos de shojo-ai entre chicas, relatos que no leí porque me aburrían en las primeras páginas.
Se supone que este manga es un yuri, la propia autora dice que se publicó en una revista oficial del género, pero yo durante todo el tomo solo he sentido que Hina y Kanae eran como dos hermanas, sin añadir que en realidad el tomo no tiene elementos románticos, por lo que no comprendo de donde viene la idea de la autora de que Voiceful sea un yuri (es un género que nunca he leído tampoco).
La historia en sí, y las dos protagonistas son buenas, no tengo pegas en ese sentido. Durante los capítulos se suceden una serie de reflexiones que me gustaron y que me parecieron refrescantes porque nos acercan a una realidad teñida de dolor y de realismo, aquí no hay comicidad, ambas chicas han vivido a corta edad determinadas cosas que las han marcado muchísimo y que las han llevado a desarrollar una fobia social.
Las dos comparten ese lazo, ese problema de miedo a acercarse a otra persona, de falta y deseo y rechazo a la comunicación. Las dos usan internet para acercarse al mundo, pero también para encerrarse aún más dentro del dolor de sus mentes.
Realmente, como este es un tema muy serio, y está tratado con seriedad, me habría gustado que todo no se hubiera resuelto de un modo tan sencillo. Pero es verdad que me alegro de que ambas empiecen a perder ese dolor que cargan en sus hombros. Son demasiado jovenes para aislarse del mundo.
El manga resalta la necesidad que las personas tienen de ser escuchadas, entendidas, y queridas, pero también el pánico absoluto a toda comunicación, o a romper la burbuja que protege de sentir, de vivir en sí.
Las protagonistas, Hina y Kanae, como digo, yo solo las vi como dos personas que se necesitan porque se ven reflejadas, tanto en dolor, como en la necesidad de vincularse a algo. A mis ojos son dos hermanas, y no dos posibles novias. La relación entre ambas también debo decir que me decepcionó mucho porque solo fueran amigas durante un capítulo y después Hina la echó de su vida para centrarse en su carrera, volviendo a romper el poco vinculo creado.
Las ilustraciones no son nada del otro mundo, pero sus reflexiones son interesantes como digo. La obra es diferente a lo que a veces encontramos en el mercado, así que si le dais una oportunidad puede que os guste. A mi no me ha dejado huella, pero no ha estado mal por leer algo.
February 24, 2010
From the cover: Meet Kanae, an introvert about to have her life transformed in the most unusual way--through music. Kanae's transformation begins when she accidentally bumps into Hina, an independent singer who releases her music via the Internet. As the girls become good friends, they quickly find that they've become one another's inspiration--in more ways than one!
I read this book and I wondered, what exactly did I just read? Were those two girls having feelings for one another? So, yeah, that's what it was about. It was very subtle, though. Or maybe I am just naive. :) I learned a new word, though - "yuri" - from one of the reviewers on Amazon:
"I bought this manga on recommendation from a friend, and while the presentation and art are gorgeous, the content may leave some disappointed if you want your yuri right out in the open. ...We don't get any yuri per se, but it's easy to extrapolate their relationship beyond what we see on panel into a romantic relationship, and despite the lack of romance in the traditional sense, the emotional dependence these women build (without the usual loser boyfriend that usually inhabit these stories, much to my relief) make this a solid read, and definitely one of Seven Seas' better releases this year."
According to Wikipedia, yuri is "a Japanese jargon term for content and a genre involving love between women in manga, anime, and related Japanese media. Yuri can focus either on the sexual or the emotional aspects of the relationship, the latter sometimes being called shōjo-ai by western fans."
So, I liked the story well enough and was obviously not overwhelmed by the yuri element. It was a decent read.
I read this book and I wondered, what exactly did I just read? Were those two girls having feelings for one another? So, yeah, that's what it was about. It was very subtle, though. Or maybe I am just naive. :) I learned a new word, though - "yuri" - from one of the reviewers on Amazon:
"I bought this manga on recommendation from a friend, and while the presentation and art are gorgeous, the content may leave some disappointed if you want your yuri right out in the open. ...We don't get any yuri per se, but it's easy to extrapolate their relationship beyond what we see on panel into a romantic relationship, and despite the lack of romance in the traditional sense, the emotional dependence these women build (without the usual loser boyfriend that usually inhabit these stories, much to my relief) make this a solid read, and definitely one of Seven Seas' better releases this year."
According to Wikipedia, yuri is "a Japanese jargon term for content and a genre involving love between women in manga, anime, and related Japanese media. Yuri can focus either on the sexual or the emotional aspects of the relationship, the latter sometimes being called shōjo-ai by western fans."
So, I liked the story well enough and was obviously not overwhelmed by the yuri element. It was a decent read.
September 11, 2022
if you're waiting f0r me.. i'll give my voice to you 🥲🥲
August 7, 2010
Originally posted here at Yaoi Radius.
By all means, Voiceful is a story that shouldn’t work based on its premise and cast of characters alone. The main protaganist, Kanae, is a socially inverted girl who rarely steps outside the walls of her own bedroom, much less her house. In turn, Hina is a singer who only releases her music on the Internet and has her own personal issues that shine through her voice when she sings. The whole story relies on the coincidental meet-up of a lonely fangirl on one of her rare outside strolls and her virtual idol in real life, and the fact that they keep meeting up afterwards despite their different personalities and lifestyles. And yet, despite the odds being against it, this self-contained volume is an unlikely winner in every conceivable field. It is charming and heartwarming and yet has enough drama and emotional tension to make the reader really care about Kanae and Hina and hope their growing friendship will keep on growing into something beautiful (this is a yuri manga, after all). As far as entry-level yuri goes, you can’t go wrong with Voiceful as a personal introduction into the sweet world of girls’ love.
Anyone who has connected emotionally with a distant media idol will certainly understand Kanae’s story. When your real life sucks, sometimes you can find solace in the work and actions of someone famous who you will probably never meet or truly know – but what if you did meet them one day, and you became friends with them? That is Kanae’s unusual predicament when she meets Hina by chance one morning and the series handles tricky and sensitive issues – fan worship and the relationship between fans and their idols – with a light hand and much class. It also helps that Hina, although popular enough among her fan base, is not in such a lofty position of fame that she would realistically shun any of her fans during off time. To watch Hina and Kanae connect with each other – first as singer and listener, and then as two young women on equal ground – and feel good about their future together at the end is a sign of good, progressive development in a story; such successful character development, slow but steady, is always welcome when it is in a story with limited pages.
If there is one thing manga-ka Nawoko certainly excels at it is storytelling, something that shines through in both the main story for Voiceful as well as the extra one-shots at the end of the book. In the case of Voiceful, Nawoko has managed to create a subtle love story that is also a story of self-realization and also personal progress in both the shy distant Kanae and the lost lonely Hina, two people who have experienced deep losses in life and can find in each other the strength to move on. The short one-shot A Special Person in turn is extremely short and difficult to judge, but based on the few pages that makes it up, its story is not nearly as layered and intricate as the main story; it ends abruptly and doesn’t seem like a very good addition to the graphic novel as a whole. Following that is Opening, a sweet story that feels like it would deserve its own volume rather than being shoehorned into one-shot status. For people who enjoy some off-kilter student/teacher relationships, Opening is certainly a welcome addition to the genre with its pseudo-coupling of Onuki and Miss Kojima, but you have to wonder how the story would have continued had it been further developed on its own.
The art of Voiceful manages to be extremely pretty without being precocious and uses the difference between larger and smaller panels to its advantage; more dramatic scenes benefit from not being crowded into a smaller number of pages. That is something you can say about the book as a whole as well; despite being a single volume, it allows itself to flow and flower freely among its limited space and yet does not end awkwardly or non-conclude. It has an open ending, but any reader can hazard a guess as to how the Hina/Kanae relationship will hopefully progress after the author stops telling their story. The fact that I as a reader occasionally do wonder about how Hina and Kanae are doing post-book ending is a testament to the staying power of their tale. For those who love a sweet dollop of yuri in their everyday life, or are just dipping their toes into the girls’ love pool, Voiceful is an entry-level manga that will certainly snag more readers into the yuri genre of manga.
By all means, Voiceful is a story that shouldn’t work based on its premise and cast of characters alone. The main protaganist, Kanae, is a socially inverted girl who rarely steps outside the walls of her own bedroom, much less her house. In turn, Hina is a singer who only releases her music on the Internet and has her own personal issues that shine through her voice when she sings. The whole story relies on the coincidental meet-up of a lonely fangirl on one of her rare outside strolls and her virtual idol in real life, and the fact that they keep meeting up afterwards despite their different personalities and lifestyles. And yet, despite the odds being against it, this self-contained volume is an unlikely winner in every conceivable field. It is charming and heartwarming and yet has enough drama and emotional tension to make the reader really care about Kanae and Hina and hope their growing friendship will keep on growing into something beautiful (this is a yuri manga, after all). As far as entry-level yuri goes, you can’t go wrong with Voiceful as a personal introduction into the sweet world of girls’ love.
Anyone who has connected emotionally with a distant media idol will certainly understand Kanae’s story. When your real life sucks, sometimes you can find solace in the work and actions of someone famous who you will probably never meet or truly know – but what if you did meet them one day, and you became friends with them? That is Kanae’s unusual predicament when she meets Hina by chance one morning and the series handles tricky and sensitive issues – fan worship and the relationship between fans and their idols – with a light hand and much class. It also helps that Hina, although popular enough among her fan base, is not in such a lofty position of fame that she would realistically shun any of her fans during off time. To watch Hina and Kanae connect with each other – first as singer and listener, and then as two young women on equal ground – and feel good about their future together at the end is a sign of good, progressive development in a story; such successful character development, slow but steady, is always welcome when it is in a story with limited pages.
If there is one thing manga-ka Nawoko certainly excels at it is storytelling, something that shines through in both the main story for Voiceful as well as the extra one-shots at the end of the book. In the case of Voiceful, Nawoko has managed to create a subtle love story that is also a story of self-realization and also personal progress in both the shy distant Kanae and the lost lonely Hina, two people who have experienced deep losses in life and can find in each other the strength to move on. The short one-shot A Special Person in turn is extremely short and difficult to judge, but based on the few pages that makes it up, its story is not nearly as layered and intricate as the main story; it ends abruptly and doesn’t seem like a very good addition to the graphic novel as a whole. Following that is Opening, a sweet story that feels like it would deserve its own volume rather than being shoehorned into one-shot status. For people who enjoy some off-kilter student/teacher relationships, Opening is certainly a welcome addition to the genre with its pseudo-coupling of Onuki and Miss Kojima, but you have to wonder how the story would have continued had it been further developed on its own.
The art of Voiceful manages to be extremely pretty without being precocious and uses the difference between larger and smaller panels to its advantage; more dramatic scenes benefit from not being crowded into a smaller number of pages. That is something you can say about the book as a whole as well; despite being a single volume, it allows itself to flow and flower freely among its limited space and yet does not end awkwardly or non-conclude. It has an open ending, but any reader can hazard a guess as to how the Hina/Kanae relationship will hopefully progress after the author stops telling their story. The fact that I as a reader occasionally do wonder about how Hina and Kanae are doing post-book ending is a testament to the staying power of their tale. For those who love a sweet dollop of yuri in their everyday life, or are just dipping their toes into the girls’ love pool, Voiceful is an entry-level manga that will certainly snag more readers into the yuri genre of manga.
November 16, 2011
Once again another innocent story about love. I really do want to see how this turns out, and if the story goes as I hoped it would. (although i dont think there is any news as to when volume two is supposed to come out... any news on that would be awesome.)
What I didn't like about this story was how there were three short story inserts that didn't seem to have anything to do with the story, which really got me confused when I first read the story. >.< Now I realized it was just advertisement for other books.
What I didn't like about this story was how there were three short story inserts that didn't seem to have anything to do with the story, which really got me confused when I first read the story. >.< Now I realized it was just advertisement for other books.
July 15, 2018
This is a very, very light shoujo-ai manga. There's no kissing or even hand-holding, so if you're looking for a more obvious yuri title, this might not be for you. It was fluffy, and while I usually prefer more serious manga, I did enjoy it.
The main story, Voiceful, is told in four chapters. There is a girl who records music that she posts online, and another who is enamored by her voice. They each have some baggage (the singer is afraid to be seen singing in public or to even make music videos, and her fangirl is agoraphobic so she can't leave her house) but the two accidentally meet one day and a friendship blossoms that helps each of them get over their fears.
After that is a chapter about the singer's closest friend. It is implied this friend has a crush on the singer, and that may be why she didn't appreciate the singer's fangirl getting so close to her in the previous story. I liked the side-plot, but it made it feel like the manga is incomplete because it added the new facet of a potential love triangle which was never resolved.
After that, the manga kind of fell apart for me.
There's a 5-page mini story about a popular girl at school is seems to be good at everything (particularly ice skating) but the main character, who is crushing on her, can't tell if people actually like the girl because she's good at everything, or if they actually hate her because they're jealous, and that makes her wonder about her own feelings. I really couldn't discern any real plot and I had trouble telling who was speaking because it seemed to me the two characters switched speech bubbles at the end and it made no sense.
Finally there's a story about a student with a bad attitude towards everything, especially school. That's pretty much all there is to it... She skips classes, makes nasty comments about teachers she hasn't even met because she never goes to class, and complains about everything. She was obnoxious. She accidentally gets locked in a classroom with a student teacher, whom she inexplicably feels compelled to open up to. She sings to kill the time and then the story ends. I didn't like it.
The book closes with a preview chapter from another manga, "Love Sisters," and some other ads.
The main story, Voiceful, is told in four chapters. There is a girl who records music that she posts online, and another who is enamored by her voice. They each have some baggage (the singer is afraid to be seen singing in public or to even make music videos, and her fangirl is agoraphobic so she can't leave her house) but the two accidentally meet one day and a friendship blossoms that helps each of them get over their fears.
After that is a chapter about the singer's closest friend. It is implied this friend has a crush on the singer, and that may be why she didn't appreciate the singer's fangirl getting so close to her in the previous story. I liked the side-plot, but it made it feel like the manga is incomplete because it added the new facet of a potential love triangle which was never resolved.
After that, the manga kind of fell apart for me.
There's a 5-page mini story about a popular girl at school is seems to be good at everything (particularly ice skating) but the main character, who is crushing on her, can't tell if people actually like the girl because she's good at everything, or if they actually hate her because they're jealous, and that makes her wonder about her own feelings. I really couldn't discern any real plot and I had trouble telling who was speaking because it seemed to me the two characters switched speech bubbles at the end and it made no sense.
Finally there's a story about a student with a bad attitude towards everything, especially school. That's pretty much all there is to it... She skips classes, makes nasty comments about teachers she hasn't even met because she never goes to class, and complains about everything. She was obnoxious. She accidentally gets locked in a classroom with a student teacher, whom she inexplicably feels compelled to open up to. She sings to kill the time and then the story ends. I didn't like it.
The book closes with a preview chapter from another manga, "Love Sisters," and some other ads.
December 15, 2008
Sweet yuri manga. I just love it.. >_<
June 5, 2012
Super cute lesbian novel, I felt the story was a bit disconjointed in its telling, so I only give it 4/5
March 22, 2017
My first manga! This was a really cute story. Okay, the premise is really unbelievable, and I wish the relationship between Kanae and Hina had gone further - but I still really enjoyed reading it!
June 3, 2012
A sweet story!
April 24, 2017
While this isn't exactly a yuri, it can still be interpreted as a romance between Hina and Kanae. Whether it's platonic or romantic according to the reader, this is a cute manga about admiration. Even if Nawoko stated this isn't a yuri, it is hard to not think there might one day be a romantic relationship between Hina and Kanae.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 12 reviews