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ウラカタ!! [Urakata!!] #3
우라카타!!3
Ranmaru spends his whole life not fitting in, until the oddballs of the Art Squad adopt him as one of their own.
Ranmaru Kurisu comes from a family of hardy, rough-and-tumble fisherfolk and he sticks out at home like a delicate, artistic sore thumb. It’s given him a raging inferiority complex and a permanently pessimistic outlook. Now that he’s in college, he’s hoping to find a sense of belonging. But after a whole life of being left out, does he even know how to fit in?!
Ranmaru Kurisu comes from a family of hardy, rough-and-tumble fisherfolk and he sticks out at home like a delicate, artistic sore thumb. It’s given him a raging inferiority complex and a permanently pessimistic outlook. Now that he’s in college, he’s hoping to find a sense of belonging. But after a whole life of being left out, does he even know how to fit in?!
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2016
11 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Bisco Hatori
57 books1,477 followersName (in native language): 葉鳥ビスコ
Bisco Hatori is a Japanese manga artist. Bisco Hatori is a pseudonym; she states that the name has special meaning to her. She has worked for such magazines as LaLa. Her manga debut was A Moment of Romance in LaLa DX. Her first series was Millennium Snow. However, the comedy Ouran High School Host Club is her breakout hit.
Bisco Hatori is a Japanese manga artist. Bisco Hatori is a pseudonym; she states that the name has special meaning to her. She has worked for such magazines as LaLa. Her manga debut was A Moment of Romance in LaLa DX. Her first series was Millennium Snow. However, the comedy Ouran High School Host Club is her breakout hit.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 6, 2019
Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
Bisco Hatori of Ouran High School Host Club fame has a new series! Ranmaru is a super-pessimist who ruins everything, but hopes to change that in college. When he runs afoul of one of the many movie clubs while filming on campus, he encounters a mysterious drama group, the Art Squad! Forced out of his comfort zone in the most dramatic way possible, Ranmaru is finally able to use those artistic skills that make him feel so inferior back home. Along the way he comes to admire each member of his new family?!
This is a review of volumes 3-4 which I read together back to back. See the plot section for my thoughts on the individual volumes.
Behind the Scenes!! vol 3-4 totally kills in the art department. I love the covers (neeeeeeeed for bookstagram!) plus the character designs are so well done. I loved Goda in vol 1-3 but his visuals change in vol 4 and WOW!! Izumi is no longer the only pretty boy. I ADORED Ranmaru's parents and sister... they are totally NOT what a fishing family should look like and its so delightful. I love the balance of frames between humor, emotions, setting, how-to and plot. It's so smooth and you totally get sucked into the frames. Really the art is a major reason to read!!
The story though is quite good. I admit that I really enjoy the story chapters where a director comes on the scene and pushes the art squad to use all of their best traits to make the movie the way he envisioned it.
In Behind the Scenes!! vol 3 we meet a child actor going through a hard time and Goda pushes him and I just loved the feel good nature to the arc. We meet a new director and Ranamaru works with Tomu! It's pretty fun and outrageous. The team making money creating a haunted house and teaching shrinky dinks is a neat way to showcase their skills and it not be for movies. Bisco Hatori really works hard shaking up the plot.
The fun goes into overdrive in Behind the Scenes!! vol 4 when we meet Ranmaru's unconventional family and take a visit to Goda's family home. We meet Soh again and see love bloom for her... The school festival is super fun when Izumi persuades everyone to help an under performing booth. The story, characters and premise really come together and Behind the Scenes felt more cohesive and root-worthy.
It really helped the story when in Behind the Scenes!! vol 3-4 we started to see how the romances would form up. The side characters are, of course, meant to be alone forever (as is typical in many manga, not everyone is equal in love) but Ranmaru starts crushing and Goda we see already has one. Soh also choose someone that she has feelings for. I feel like seeing these personal connections really helped the manga immensely. We need these connections for the art squad to feel substantial.
The romance was a big deal, but at the heart of Behind the Scenes!! vol 3-4 we have a group of good people. They have skills and will use them in the name of movies, love, improvement and ready cash for all they are worth! They want to help and nothing gets in the way of getting the job done. While this is certainly a Bisco Hatori story it isn't the same as Ouran Host Club. It isn't as tongue in cheek, these are regular people and they have a passion to create!
Behind the Scenes!! vol 3-4 see the series really come together with Ranmaru finding his place in the art squad and the team going all out in helping others succeed in their vision. We learned about shrinky dinks AND animal shaped dumplings... its fun how-to that doesn't expect you to commit! Bisco Hatori's trademark art style sucks you in and makes you fall in love... but will your ship set sail?! We'll have to tune in the next vol to see...
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
This is a multi-volume series and there may be references to the plot of those volumes... SO READ WITH CARE! Here is my review of 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
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February 15, 2017
In Summary
Although it’s billed as “Film Camp,” the Art Squad’s off-campus getaway is really just the usual student film set chaos, albeit with a child actor in the mix. However, we do get to see the Squad in a different element when they tackle summer fundraising. A healthy amount of art/craft techniques are, of course, incorporated throughout (including detailed instructions on shrinky dinks), and those curious about the Squad members will get some intriguing glimpses into their personal lives.
The Review
In anime and manga, the camp setting is generally used for clubs to practice, train, and bond. However, even though the Art Squad says they are going to “Film Camp” in Scene 11, it’s actually a multi-day shoot at a borrowed vacation house. Aside from the fact that they are staying at the shoot location overnight, the Art Squad is just slaving away for student director Riichi Kai again. In other words, it’s the usual unreasonable demands sprinkled with set design techniques. The only truly new element is that this film cast includes Rin Debito, a child actor (and a paid one at that). While the clash between the snooty Rin and child-phobic Goda is entertaining, Hatori-sensei also tries to paint the kid in a sympathetic light, but Rin’s personal dilemma only makes him come off as inconsistent. As such, when Ranmaru gets Rin back on track with a cliche phrase, the resolution seems much too convenient.
Once film camp is over, we get a chapter dedicated to Tomu. Aside from the fact that he’s a ball of energy and his family’s loaning the Squad studio space, we don’t know too much about him. However, Hatori-sensei fills in a lot of blanks when Tomu and Ranmaru lend a hand to the Modernist Cinema Club. For a simple-minded character, Tomu winds up in rather complicated situations, and it’s fun getting into his brain.
The volume closes with the Squad’s summertime fundraising projects. While these arcs feature the usual art design and crafts, they are different in that the Squad isn’t under the thumb of a director. In other words, we get to see them direct themselves–with hilarious results. Whereas they only dealt with one kid at Film Camp, they field a whole bunch when they hold a craft workshop. Then they tackle something more in line with their skills when asked to create a haunted house. While this project definitely showcases Maasa’s talents, mouse-hearted Ranmaru winds up key to their success in a surprising (and amusing) way.
Extras include bonus mini manga, embedded notes from the creator, glossary, and author bio.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
Although it’s billed as “Film Camp,” the Art Squad’s off-campus getaway is really just the usual student film set chaos, albeit with a child actor in the mix. However, we do get to see the Squad in a different element when they tackle summer fundraising. A healthy amount of art/craft techniques are, of course, incorporated throughout (including detailed instructions on shrinky dinks), and those curious about the Squad members will get some intriguing glimpses into their personal lives.
The Review
In anime and manga, the camp setting is generally used for clubs to practice, train, and bond. However, even though the Art Squad says they are going to “Film Camp” in Scene 11, it’s actually a multi-day shoot at a borrowed vacation house. Aside from the fact that they are staying at the shoot location overnight, the Art Squad is just slaving away for student director Riichi Kai again. In other words, it’s the usual unreasonable demands sprinkled with set design techniques. The only truly new element is that this film cast includes Rin Debito, a child actor (and a paid one at that). While the clash between the snooty Rin and child-phobic Goda is entertaining, Hatori-sensei also tries to paint the kid in a sympathetic light, but Rin’s personal dilemma only makes him come off as inconsistent. As such, when Ranmaru gets Rin back on track with a cliche phrase, the resolution seems much too convenient.
Once film camp is over, we get a chapter dedicated to Tomu. Aside from the fact that he’s a ball of energy and his family’s loaning the Squad studio space, we don’t know too much about him. However, Hatori-sensei fills in a lot of blanks when Tomu and Ranmaru lend a hand to the Modernist Cinema Club. For a simple-minded character, Tomu winds up in rather complicated situations, and it’s fun getting into his brain.
The volume closes with the Squad’s summertime fundraising projects. While these arcs feature the usual art design and crafts, they are different in that the Squad isn’t under the thumb of a director. In other words, we get to see them direct themselves–with hilarious results. Whereas they only dealt with one kid at Film Camp, they field a whole bunch when they hold a craft workshop. Then they tackle something more in line with their skills when asked to create a haunted house. While this project definitely showcases Maasa’s talents, mouse-hearted Ranmaru winds up key to their success in a surprising (and amusing) way.
Extras include bonus mini manga, embedded notes from the creator, glossary, and author bio.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2019
You can really see Bisco Hatori’s other series bleeding through in this volume. If you’ve read Ouran High School Host Club you’ll see it. (If not, I highly recommend it. 5 star series that.)
Rin Debito = Shiro Takaoji but nicer
Ren Utoda = Kyoya + Kuze
Maasa = Nekozawa + Renge
And there’s probably more!
This series is definitely a good starter for those with a love of crafting. Fun and semi-easy to try projects with simple tips and tricks. I wanna try them all!
This series has 7 volumes.
Rin Debito = Shiro Takaoji but nicer
Ren Utoda = Kyoya + Kuze
Maasa = Nekozawa + Renge
And there’s probably more!
This series is definitely a good starter for those with a love of crafting. Fun and semi-easy to try projects with simple tips and tricks. I wanna try them all!
This series has 7 volumes.
April 21, 2023
I kind of just keep saying "this series is cute" about this one, but honestly that's the only thing I've got, it's so much fun and such a light energy that I want to stay in for far longer than these volumes are. It's just a really good slice of life, and Ranmaru might be one of my fave PoV characters in a while, he's got such an interesting dynamic with everyone else and his viewpoints are such a neat addition to the story.
January 21, 2018
I had a hard time getting into this one, probably because it had been so long since I read the second volume. I liked the last couple scenes the best and loved the one page comics at the end. I do love Bisco Hatori so much!! This one reminded me a little of the Paradise Kiss series.
September 18, 2020
Goda doesn't like kids but is stuck with one for film camp. Ranmaru and Tomu work with the Modernist Cinema Club but the club's president fires them and rehires them after Tomu fights off some jerks who interrupted the shoot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2017
This was super cute. I really enjoyed the haunted house chapter.
July 6, 2017
Getting more of the backstories and seeing some growth with the characters. In love! Want more!! Funny but enough interconnection between stories to maintain a flow.
July 24, 2017
good manga
October 1, 2017
Fun and different to what I'm used to reading. I like these manga and you learn a thing or two too!
October 12, 2017
[5/5 stars].
November 30, 2017
Good volume.
July 15, 2018
Story and characters are all over the place. Honestly I find it hard to want to find out what happens next cause the story seems so flat. Some characters are funny which makes it semi enjoyable.
January 20, 2019
Nice art, enjoyable series, I’m looking forward to meeting his family next volume.
June 20, 2019
I forgot how often characters cry in mangas, in every chapter it seems.
March 11, 2020
4.5/5 stars
January 5, 2022
Another fun volume! Hatori is really good at making feel-good stories, it kinda makes me go back to college and have fun with my friends again.
June 23, 2022
Didn’t like the stories in this volume as much, but it’s still good.
February 9, 2023
We got a whole chapter about Tomu Tenba!!! He's my favorite character!
February 11, 2023
This volume was just okay. I really liked the last chapter, but I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this series.
July 13, 2023
The only one I liked out of the 3 I've read. First 2 were boring. This one, more stuff happens, you get to know the characters better, and there's more fun stuff going on.
February 25, 2017
A solid volume. Hope there is more character development because I am interested in seeing the different backgrounds of the characters.
I received this advanced copy from VIZ Media through Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.
I received this advanced copy from VIZ Media through Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.
February 13, 2017
Ranmaru is so cute. I love that we get more background on the other members, again.
July 9, 2017
~3.5/5
This is a pretty light-hearted series.
In this volume, we meet a bratty, struggling kid actor, and we see that Goda doesn't understand kids. We get to know Tomu a little better, and we get to see where Ruka comes from, what her family pressures are. There's also a chapter where the group puts together a haunted house, and see that they've gone too far and how they can pull back and change things to create a better audience reaction.
This is not as good as her previous series thus far, I will admit that. But it's still got her humor, and it very much feels like she's getting back into the groove of things. I am definitely still reading.
A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
This is a pretty light-hearted series.
In this volume, we meet a bratty, struggling kid actor, and we see that Goda doesn't understand kids. We get to know Tomu a little better, and we get to see where Ruka comes from, what her family pressures are. There's also a chapter where the group puts together a haunted house, and see that they've gone too far and how they can pull back and change things to create a better audience reaction.
This is not as good as her previous series thus far, I will admit that. But it's still got her humor, and it very much feels like she's getting back into the groove of things. I am definitely still reading.
A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
January 28, 2017
Fun, but I hope the next volume has more character development.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews