Manga Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Manga Shakespeare

by Richard Appignanesi, Kate Brown (Illustrator), William Shakespeare

Shakespeare's enduring characters are set adrift in present-day Athens - but a present with a massive difference - an alternative history. Rigid class systems and 'god given' monarchies of the past have not been lost, and the citizens of Athens are frustrated by continuing restrictions and hierarchies.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Classics, Comics, Shakespeare, Romance

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Richard Appignanesi is a published adapter and an author of young adult books. Published credits of Richard Appignanesi include Manga Shakespeare: Julius Caesar (Manga Shakespeare), Manga Shakespeare: Macbeth (Manga Shakespeare), Manga Shakespeare: Hamlet (Manga Shakespeare), and Manga Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet (Manga Shakespeare).

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first heard about Manga Shakespeare I thought it was kind of a silly idea, but I was also intrigued. After all, when I was a youngster I had Classic Comics editions of both Frankenstein and The Moonstone. So why not Manga Shakespeare for young people today?!

The story is true to the play, with a few upgrades here and there, such as modern conveniences like big screens and beeping watches. The artwork is nice, it fits the story and Puck was a wonderfully wicked looking creature.

I battled the whole way through trying to keep the images of James Cagney (Bottom) and Mickey Rooney (Puck) out of my mind as I read. But then I can't help it, I have seen their movie version so many times that even when I read the bare play I see their faces.

I was quite happy with this book and the next time I visit my favorite online used bookseller, I just might see if they have other plays available. The back cover lists two other favorites of mine: The Tempest and Hamlet. I would love to see how they are presented in manga style!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great additon to the English Literature resources in the library.

Let me start by saying I am not going to review the story of A Midsummer Night's Dream only the Manga take on the play.

I really wanted to see how these Manga books would relate in the Secondary school library, especially with the current trend for Manga.

Although the language remains the same as the original play it does make it easier to follow without the stage directions and with the illustrations of the specific person speaking.

The book starts with an introduction to each character along with a brief sentence as to their relationship with the other characters. Something that pupils can refer back to if they get confused as to who is with who etc.

The illustrations are beautiful and really add to the imagery portrayed within the dialogue. The way in which the characters were drawn is remarkably like the way I had pictured them within my imagination.

Really easy to follow and understand. My only 'complaint' which isn't really a complaint is that only the first few pages are in colour the rest are in black and white, I like colour but I think that it may increase the cost of production and therefore the cost to purchase.

I have shown the book to the English Department who are going to buy a set for the library. A great resource to run alongside the traditional text in the classroom and I think making Shakespeare more accessible to pupils.

Bringing Shakespeare to a whole new generation to fully appreciate cannot be a bad thing.

UPDATE: Since writing my review and taking the book into the library; to my great surprise and pleasure Year 12/13 students have been using it while working on their coursework [ : D ] I am one very happy Librarian.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

As in other manga Shakespeare interpretations, this book comes with color illustrations giving a Who’s Who gallery of the various characters in this play. The illustrator has given the characters an amalgam of modern and ancient garb that manages to bridge the old and the new, a fitting conceit for a tale of young lovers defying the older generation. The faces manage to be cute and yet expressive, the illustrations done in shades of gray that further the impression of a twilight world, one that lies between the harsh edges of day and night. Descriptions of the world, magical creatures, etc. (as during Oberon and Titania’s opening quarrel, e.g.) are vividly illustrated by Kate Brown, something that couldn’t be managed on a theatrical stage. In contrast, the backgrounds are often barely hinted at, with sometimes only a bit of furniture, statuary or heavenly body showing where the action is taking place, a fitting device for a play that is described as a dream by its various characters.

[gabriele · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful idea to combine Shakespeare's work and the format of mangas. Perhaps it is a little unexpected, but as a non-native English speaker I found it a lot easier to connect with the story and to remember who's who with illustrations. At the beginning of the book you also have a short introduction of each character, which is really helpful.

The work of Kate Brown, the illustrator, is truly gorgeous and A Midsummer Night's Dream remains as enchanting as ever in this format.

There is a whole serie of Shakespeare mangas and I can't wait to get my hands on others!

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the touches Brown added to her illustrations that made me appreciate this play a little more. From expressions I didn't imagine these characters having from reading the text, to neat framing, and cute little moments (like Robin tying up his sneakers), this was a lot of fun to read. The technological bits also made for some good added comedy.

[Nori Fitchett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the art and flow of this version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream 💙
It’s very easy to read and is abridged (I only noticed it was abridged because I am obsessed with this play and know many of the monologues off by heart)

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pretty good adaptation. I thought the illustrations were witty and added quite a bit to the storyline, and I laughed out loud in places. Good characterization. She differentiated Hermia and Helena—which goodness knows is essential—but Demetrius and Lysander still looked alike.

The setting was weirdly partially updated, with jeans and wristwatches scattered amongst the togas. 🤷‍♀️ Okay!

[Nora Røssland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful version of my favourite play by Shakespeare <3 Wonderful illustrations! I loved Titania and Oberon’s design - but they did my boy Puck dirty - he’s not a goblin :(
I will forever love this play <3 (this is my fourth or fifth time reading a version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” lol)

[Sarah Stubbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems odd to me to change the time period of the story in the art but not the language used. I’d have rather this had been rewritten into contemporary language versus using the original text.

[Becky Steinhauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one did not disappoint. Favorite play. Love all of this.

[kelsie (taylor's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa


"For love looks not with the eyes but with the mind
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."

[Ksenia Chernyshova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't in love with the style of illustrations, but it made a funny play even funnier so I'm not complaining.

[Madeline Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting spin of the graphic novel! I grew up reading manga, so this book turned my head when it saw on the shelf. As an adult, the word Shakespeare still leaves a bad taste in my mouth after several terrible teachers over the years who tore the play to part in shreds and with no guidance told the students to put them back together. This manga not only helped me to follow the story, but it made it interesting.

Of course, with manga, the scenes and characters depicted are exaggerated and the characters are drawn in the manga style. Also, the text is in quick text, but the text still holds Shakespearean vernacular. The panels are interesting to look at and if it weren't for the language, I'd forget I was reading a Shakespeare play.

I would not be able to use just this in the classroom. It would have to be supplemental to the actual text and then maybe just for fun on the side. It might be a warmup read to help students get the main idea of the play before delving into it. For more advanced students or students you know would have little interest in it, it wouldn't work out so well. However, the popularity of manga is on the rise and it could be an excellent edition to a teacher's library or a prescribed read for a student who isn't “getting it”.

Madeline & Johnathan

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cool edition of my favorite play from the bard. I love these manga versions because I know the story so well, and they don't generally change it at all, but there are little jokes and a few winks at the reader in the illustration, so there is a little something new. Fun to look at, fun to read.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not awful. Not awesome. However, if you love Shakespeare, and love manga, then this is the book for you!

[Kat Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.cracked.com/video_18264_wh...

[Kian Aleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on a Shakespeare binge, guys. I'm reading Hamlet for school, and when we went to the library I...got all of the Manga Shakespeare they had. I really like Shakespeare, okay?
(review to come)

[John Collings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teachers always face a problem when they start to teach any of Shakespeare's works. How can you get your students interested in them and have them experience the story the way that it was meant to be experienced? Shakespeare's classic comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, might fall a little short if students are supposed to sit there and read it. They will not see the slapstick and absurdity that is written between the lines of the play. Instead, they will only see a jumble of confusing words that they will never be able to get over. Granted, this play is one of his most accessible, but that still does not mean that they will put up their wall to avoid reading all of this play. I do think that this manga version will help with that. It retains a lot of the charm of the play while doing some cool things graphically. It also retains most of the language of the play, and makes it fun for the reader. I would not give this to each of my students to read, but for the ones that absolutely struggle with the language, this would be a great way for them to access the fun that is available in the play.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feel like I’m on an absolute 5 star roll out with great books right now!
This one was the best of these which I’ve read in ages if not ever. I love love loved the characterisation of Puck it was so unique and creepy but enticing. Same with the sprites I loved their little images.
I’ve often thought this story to be overrated, but this made me laugh and was beautifully drawn. It made me want to give it another go at watching it on stage, rather than being put off by it.
I really enjoyed the images, especially those between Puck and Oberon, but also the performers were really funny and cute and I loved their scenes.
I even liked the sci-fi theming which almost never happens.
The story is fantastic and the pages are gorgeous. I really felt like I was spinning around inside the story, and I could see the vision so clearly.
Read it in one sitting before work! That’s how fun it was. Super happy with this one.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what I'd think of Manga Shakespeare but I really enjoyed this one.

The art was really beautiful, I liked the intro pages where each character was drawn and introduced to us, it felt a lot like the start of a play but also just gave us a detailed look at the beautiful character design.

The story itself is a fun one, it's a bit of an odd play that feels very dreamy and magical, which I think translates well into a manga/graphic novel form. The ethereal feeling is captured beautifully in the art and a lot of the comedic elements translate well with the characters designs and facial expressions.

Honestly, I think it's a really fun way to introduce people to Shakespeare's work, while also being a nice format for people who're already Shakespeare fans and like Shakespeare art.

[Lewis Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not really into your animes, your mangas, your what have yous, and I liked this more than I thought I would.

However, I was forced to take off a full star because of the truncation of the best part of Midsummer. If you’re not going to do the full Mechanicals play at the end, what’s the point of even publishing the book? Truly baffled that anyone could think Bottom and the boys are not the best part of this story.
The best bit of the comic was how Puck looks like a weird little alien with pierced ears.

Apparently lots of other Shakespeare has gotten the manga treatment; I would be interested to try Othello or Julius Caesar or Macbeth or similar.

[Ashley Blaes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever way to make Shakespearean plays more accessible to a wider audience. The manga-like illustrations were entertaining and kept me focused on the often-difficult verse of Early Modern plays. I can tell a lot of work was put into the art for this series. Given to me by a friend while I was abroad, I couldn't pass up reading this play as I never have had the chance to read it before. I'm glad I did! Involves the classic tropes of miscommunication and marriage, as are often present in comedies.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic novel adaptations of challenging reads are perfect for students preparing to read the original text. This Manga version of A Midsummer Night's Dream is no exception. The only part I didn't understand was its futuristic setting; which for the vast majority of the novel was pointless while wandering the woods without the benefits of any modern devices. Why didn't Lysander use his GPS to assist him and Hermia to his aunts home outside of Athens?

[sabisteb aka callisto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Zeichnungen sind so gestaltet, dass man die Figuren gut unterscheiden kann. Die Handlung wird sehr gut auf die tragenden Dialogelemente zusammengedampft, so dass einige Witze fast besser als im Original rüber kommen. Gliederung der verschiedenen Szenen erfolgt teilweise über den Hintergrund der Seiten, was leider nicht ganz konzequent durchgehalten wird.
Die Zeichnungen sind vom Stil her komplett anders als in den anderen Büchern der Reihe. Sie wirken ein wenig linkischer und ungeschickter, fast wie von einem Teenager, nicht so wirklich mein Stil und keiner meiner bevorzugten Illustratoren, aber OK.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never read this one before. Now that I know the context behind the quote "... though she be but little, she is fierce," I have to laugh.

But anyway, I think this is actually a great way to present this material! I loved the artwork, and it was a lot easier to understand everything with the visuals. I wish this had been around when I was in high school.

[Fia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just genuinely dislike Midsummer Night’s Dream in general. The art style was very interesting. Honestly, the way the faces were drawn was off-putting to me. The chaos of everything is so unsatisfactory to me. This was my first experience with Shakespeare and I’m disappointed. 1/10 would not want to read again.

[Emmysoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really understand why this story had to be retold in a 'modern setting' the only thing modern about it was the three tv screens in the first few pages. The change of setting had no effect on the story, and was frankly, unnessacary. Why change it at all?

[Julie Bergley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore all things Shakespeare. It's one of the few classics I can truly enjoy. So when I found a manga adaptation, I just had to read it. The art is unique and beautiful. I want to read more of these adaptations.

[Mary L · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid enough introduction to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream though I didn't like the way the adaptor abridged what, to me, is the best part of the play—the Mechanicals' performance of Pyramus and Thisbe.

[Ghoster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since it’s short and filled with engaging graphics, this is a great introduction to reading Shakespeare. I really enjoyed it, mangas offer an easy reading experience, which can be refreshing at times.