Mujirushi: el signo de los sueños

Le Signe des rêves #1-2

by Naoki Urasawa

Kamoda y su hija Kasumi son conducidos por un cuervo y un símbolo misterioso al Instituto de Investigación de Francia, donde conocen al extravagante director, un hombre que afirma que puede cambiar el destino de Kamoda con un atrevido robo de pintura en el Louvre de París.

Entrega única, que cuenta con la colaboración del mismo museo del Louvre de París.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Seinen, Japan, Mystery, Crime

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 22, 2018

About the author

Urasawa Naoki (浦沢直樹) is a Japanese mangaka. He is perhaps best known for Monster (which drew praise from Junot Díaz, the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner) and 20th Century Boys.

Urasawa's work often concentrates on intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, a deep focus on character development and psychological complexity. Urasawa has won the Shogakukan Manga Award, the Japan Media Arts Festival excellence award, the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 2008 Urasawa accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University.

Series list (not including short stories collections):
- Pineapple ARMY (パイナップルARMY) 1985-1988, written by Kazuya Kudo;
- YAWARA! 1986-1993;
- Master Keaton (MASTERキートン) 1988-1994, written by Hokusei Katsushika;
- Happy! 1993-1999
- MONSTER 1994-2001
- 20th Century Boys (20世紀少年) 1999-2006
- 21st Century Boys (21世紀少年) 2007
- PLUTO 2003-2009, based on Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atom
- BILLY BAT 2008-2016
- Master Keaton Remaster (MASTERキートン Reマスター) 2012-2014
- Mujirushi (夢印-MUJIRUSHI-) 2017-2018, collaboration with Musée du Louvre
- Asadora! (連続漫画小説 あさドラ!) 2018-ongoing

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit odd, almost sinking under the weight of all the things going on here.

First, this is part of the Louvre collection of graphic novels, which commissions artists from around the world to create stories inspired by the French museum and/or its contents.

Having taken up the baton, Naoki Urasawa decided to combine his Louvre tale with a homage to a 1960s Japanese manga series, Osomatsu-kun. I at least had a passing familiarity with Astro boy when he did a similar thing with PLUTO: Urasawa x Tezuka, Volume 001. This time though I had never heard of the series or the side character, Iyama, who is featured here, so that whole aspect was lost on me. Also, it's weird and discomforting that Iyami's character design looks exactly like the offensive and racist caricatures from World War II comic books and propaganda that we routinely condemn today.

Homage is also paid to Maria Callas, the opera singer, just because, in a way that will be lost on non-Japanese speakers until it is explained in the back of the book.

Finally, for a villain, Urasawa horrifically decides to mash 2016 rivals Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump together, giving us orange-skinned, pant-suit-wearing U.S. President Beverly Duncan. Brrr.

In between all this baggage, he does manage to squeeze a sweet story about a little Japanese girl trying to help her father navigate a midlife crisis as his business verges on bankruptcy, his wife leaves him, and his only way out seems to be an outrageous art heist plot being offered by a mysterious stranger. It's confusing at times, but if you lay a Coen brothers vibe over it, it sort of works.

[Alberto Martín de Hijas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Urasawa combina una trama criminal con un drama familiar y una intriga política, todo ello enlazado por el misterio que domina como nadie. Esta vez todo está compactado en un tomo de "solo" 270 páginas con lo que el ritmo es más rápido de lo habitual en él y aunque no faltan los momentos de tensión, el argumento es más ligero y menos dramático que en otras ocasiones, pese a ello, creo que el manga no se resiente en absoluto y es tan absorbente como las obras más famosas del autor. Por supuesto, el dibujo es tan brillante como de costumbre.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strange mix of farce / seriousness, France / Japan, crime / love, absurdity / sentiment. And while I have no idea what it was about (the fact that nothing is as it seems and there is light and darkness and surprise in everything?), I really enjoyed the art and the well written characterizations. Even the stock and comedy characters had depth. I'll be reading more by Urasawa for sure, even if I'm puzzled during and after.

**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Ermocolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un volume unico, ben illustrato che racconta quel filo sottile che lega i sogni alla realtà, un filo ignorato finché non soffermiamo l'attenzione e decidiamo di seguirlo.

In Mujirushi – Il segno dei sogni, Naoki Urasawa ci accompagna proprio lungo quel filo, tra fallimenti, speranze smarrite e un viaggio inatteso verso il cuore dell’arte.

Kamoda e sua figlia Kasumi camminano dentro un mondo che sembra crollare, eppure ogni crepa lascia filtrare una luce nuova.
È la luce dei desideri dimenticati, dei segni che l’universo ci lascia quando siamo troppo distratti o troppo disperati per vederli.
E così, guidati da un enigmatico “uomo senza bandiera”, padre e figlia scoprono che anche nella disfatta più totale può nascondersi un inizio.

Urasawa illustra il Louvre che diventa un tempio silenzioso, un santuario in cui i sogni prendono forma;
i volti dei personaggi vibrano di malinconia e ironia mentre il cielo sopra di loro sembra parlare attraverso simboli che solo chi ha il coraggio di sperare può comprendere.

Questo manga è un piccolo viaggio onirico, un passo leggero tra il possibile e l’impossibile dove chi sa cogliere i segni potrà trovare un futuro migliore.

Mujirushi non è solo una storia, è il volo di un corvo, è il suo gracchiare potente, è un promemoria che ci ricorda che i sogni non muoiono se ci si sforza di cercarli e ascoltarne il richiamo.

[Bill Hsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the uncanny elements in the early sections (though we get beaten with the usual explanations later), the obvious Trump parody figure, and some gorgeously detailed art. But a lot of the narrative is pretty goofy, and I'm almost never a fan of the commitment to cuteness. Entertaining, but lightweight.

[Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia donde las acciones del presente se originan en un pasado varias décadas a tras, un misterio con piezas de encaje aparentemente imposible, una niña con una voluntad inquebrantable en el centro de la trama, gente con un poder ilimitado aprovechándose de la precariedad de los que menos tienen... Urasawa modela la arcilla fundamental de sus historias río en una contenida en 300 páginas que, además de muestrario de sus fortalezas (y alguna debilidad) sirve de homenaje al Louvre desde múltiples facetas. La que más me ha gustado, sobre todo, es su carácter de icono pop simbolizado por esa piedra que se sitúa entre dos estatuas, una representación maravillosa de la grandeza y estupidez de muchos gestos/acciones.

[Olly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un volume unico davvero interessante nel tipico stile di Urasawa. Una storia semplice con tanto cuore che ti coinvolge fin dal primo capitolo.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part caper, part musing on the nature of art, this is in some ways the manga equivalent of the epigraph to Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. It's a book that doesn't truly come together until the very end, and thus is one that really benefits from a re-read or two, but if you have the patience to do that and the inclination to see how your own views of art (as pertains specifically to anime and manga) influence your initial reading of the book, this is more than worth checking out.

There's also some bonus political satire dating to the 2016 American election.

[José Antonio Gutiérrez Guevara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Urasawa did it again. What would you be willing to do to fulfill your dreams? This story makes you answer that question yourself. With his originality, Naoki Urasawa uses elements of suspense, comedy and drama to introduce you to this manga. I loved.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star. I didn't care for this at all. This is one of the worst manga plots I've ever read and I can't believe I read the whole thing. Review to come.

[Tezar Yulianto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Menyenangkan baca komik ini sebagai buku pertama di 2021.

[cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aku syuuuka sekali nuansa yang dibawa manga ini. Rasa misterius si Fukken, perencanaan heist di Louvre, rasa penasaran pak polisi tua, drama si bocah dab ayahnya, komedi nenek penyanyi dan idealisme si pemadam kebakaran, juga tempelan jurnalis dan gambaran politis gak lucunya seorang kandidat presiden. Semuanya berpadu dengan sangat apik dan nyaman. Aku juga suka bagaimana twistnya menggiring balik semua cerita menjadi janji cinta sederhana antara dua sejoli puluhan tahun lalu.

Setelah muter-muter seperti membingungkannya sebuah maze, penyelesaiannya sangat grounded, seperti mimpi di pagi hari yang menyisakan tanda tanya tapi juga senyuman.

#fav2021

[Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mujirushi es un manga surgido a raíz de una iniciativa del Louvre, que comisionó a un selecto grupo de mangakas, la crème de la crème, a crear historias centradas en el museo o en sus obras. Todo podría haber quedado en un elegante folleto turístico, pero Naoki Urasawa elige otro camino y construye un relato que combina el robo de una famosa pintura, un crucero de lujo y la figura de una magnate convertida en presidenta de los Estados Unidos (female Donald Trump). En medio de este entramado se encuentra Kasumi, una niña japonesa que intenta ayudar a su padre a salir de una profunda crisis personal, provocada por el poco tino en los negocios y el abandono de su esposa. Ambos terminarán involucrados de manera fortuita en el plan del robo.

Kasumi es, paradójicamente, la única que parece tener los pies en la tierra, tornándose en la verdadera protagonista de la obra. Ella sospecha desde el vamos que la supuesta mente maestra detrás del golpe no es más que un charlatán, pero no tiene otra opción que acompañar a su padre, desesperado y crédulo, en un viaje que los lleva hasta el Louvre y al progresivo descubrimiento del pasado de este peculiar personaje.

Urasawa hace gala de un dominio superlativo del tempo narrativo, algo especialmente meritorio tratándose de un tomo único; equilibrando con soltura el drama familiar, la intriga criminal y el humor absurdo. A pesar de la tensión constante que generan las deudas, la evasión de impuestos y el robo de obras de arte, Mujirushi resulta un manga cálido y divertido, con un diseño que destaca y una crítica social que se filtra de manera natural en la historia. Es cierto que en su segunda mitad la introducción de nuevos personajes y del componente político puede resultar algo confusa, pero estos mismos elementos ayudarán a la postre a cerrar un final bastante satisfactorio. Very nice.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a strange, unusual and imaginative manga. Some parts were confusing at first but I loved how everything tied in together.

Interesting that this is part of a Louvre collection. I would love to read the other books in the series!

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm...
How can I say this? 🤔

I was a bit afraid when I started it after reading some reviews (especially because I bought an expensive "collector" edition of it) but it turned out to be a great experience.

It wasn't spectacular, but it was fun and enjoyable.

The fact that it's a two volumes (or single volume depending on editions I guess) makes it quite different in pace and complexity compared to almost every other Urasawa works (thinking of 20th Century Boys counting 22 volumes or Monster and its 18 volumes in their original edition in particular).

Despite it being quite fast paced, it has the elements that makes Urasawa's works. Especially the... you know, all the entangled substories that you wonder what they have to do with one another, but they actually do... even if it's sometimes far-fetched.

Unlike Monster (which is actually the only other of his works that I finished reading —but I'm catching up with the rest, slowly but surely) which ending left me kind of a sour taste, I'm actually quite satisfied with that ending. (Even if, once again, a bit far-fetched.)

I wasn't familiar with the Iyami character used in the story, but apparently it's a very famous manga character from the 60s, and I think it's a nice touch and what gives that particular vibe to the story. 👌🏻

Also, it features Paris and the Louvre in particular, which always wins easy points from me. 🙃

[Angélica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kasumi es una niña de Japón, su vida a dado un vuelco pues su padre, acosado por las deudas, es abandonado por su esposa. Debido a la urgencia de la situación, el padre, decide aceptar un negocio: hacer máscaras de la próxima presidenta de Estados Unidos ( qué es idéntica a Trump jajaja) sin embargo el negocio sale mal, el padre sin saber qué hacer empieza a contemplar cierta opción, hasta que un cuervo los lleva con un hombre japonés que ama Francia y quizá tenga el secreto para ayudarles y quizá cumpliría sus sueños.

Me ha encantado, cada cosa es una sorpresa con Naoki Urasawa, siempre sus historias tienen, giros y sorpresas y son conmovedoras también.

Por su puesto tiene 5 estrellas, mi autor favorito de mangas nunca me falla.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. If you already like Urasawa then you know he’s real good at what he does. It’s especially nice to see him doing a single volume story, normally his work tends to run a little too long. But this one is nice and brief but never feels rushed.

Side note, I feel like the US release should have included more of a history of Iyami? Given that the book features a character most Americans have zero exposure to and only giving a very brief description of him in the back, I don’t know, maybe include an image gallery or something, attempt to better explain Iyami. REGARDLESS, that’s just a slight criticism of the US release, the book itself rules. Love it.

[Nanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 bintang untuk karya pertama dari Naoki Urasawa yang kubaca ✨✨

Ermm... Sebagai karya pertama yang kubaca, apa ya.. Ada kesan-kesan yang susah dijelaskan saat baca, tapi saya sangat menikmati nya.. Alurnya ngalir, dan tokohnya ada yang lucu... Dan saya tertawa di akhir bukunya, karena twistnya itu.. Still.. Unbelievable aja sih...

Sudah jatuh tertimpa tangga, tertimpa duren, tertimpa batangan emas pula... Tapi ga nyangka aja kalo semua itu berhubungan. Kebetulan atau sudah direncanakan? Pokoknya ketawa aja 😂

[bayu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Manga one-shot karya Naoki Urasawa, menceritakan sepasang ayah dan anak yg diutus melakukan misi pencurian di Museum Louvre setelah usahanya mengalami kebangkrutan. Manga Naoki Urasawa pertama yg kubaca, cukup menarik tapi g terlalu special. Berekspektasi terlalu tinggi diawal, aku kira ceritanya bakal berat, penuh misteri, detektif2 an, tapi ternyata cukup ringan & masih bisa diikuti. Ada sedikit twist jg di akhir cerita.

"Mimpi yang tidak divisualisasikan, tidak akan pernah terwujud. Hanya mimpi yang diharapkan, yang akan terwujud."

[Enia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm, menurut saya manga ini terasa biasa saja dan datar saja dari awal hingga akhir. Entah karena mood saya yang sedang kurang enak atau karena saya yang membaca terlalu cepat; tapi saya sama sekali tidak merasakan emosi apapun saat membaca manga ini. Bahkan saya justru merasa ada yang janggal di hati saya karena ada banyak hal atau kisaha yang rasanya tidak ter-eksplor dengan lebih baik dan lebih dalam di manga ini.

[Livietta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tratto sempre di livello altissimo, sempre riconoscibile e affascinante, anche se per certi anche troppo simile ad Asadora!
La storia un po’ meh, non mi ha appassionato od incuriosito particolarmente. Ho letto che è stato fatto in collaborazione con il Louvre è un po’, l’effetto lavoro su commissione, si sente.

[Doc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A journey for one family as a series of unfortunate events (mostly due to the father's bad choices) leads them to an adventure, new friends, and a dream.

What do you get in this book? How about some political satire as presidential candidate Beverly Duncan (who looks remarkably like a female Donald Trump) has been trying to win the extremist right with promises of building a wall along the Mexican boarder and wins the election partially due to their opponent getting caught up in a scandal. Not enough for you? How about some incredible portrayals of classic artworks, a history of some of France's history, legendary con artist Iyami from the anime Osomatsu-kun, a (possibly unintended) call back to the Anonymous movement, a criminal art theft ring, and a love story all while one man does whatever he has to do to save his life from crushing debt (thank God for his much smarter young daughter.)

If you are looking for an action manga this is not that kind of story but the characters are likable, the story is a bit fragments but in the end the pieces fall nicely into a picture where connections across time and nations are found thanks to the Sign of Dreams. You will have to decide what was and wasn't real in the end. :)

[Milenrrama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Más bien creo que un 3,5.

Llena de referencias por doquier, conocerlas es necesario para disfrutar de la historia, me temo. E incluso aún así, ciertas partes se me hicieron un poco aburridas. Está muy bien mantener parte del misterio, pero al final introduce personajes de los que apenas nos cuenta nada, y del que sí nos cuenta, no está en la historia.

No obstante, sin ser una historia redonda, es entretenida, se deja leer y crea intriga por ver cuál será el siguiente giro.

[Eric Rutledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always a fan of Urasawa's work, and this was no exception. Starting in Japan with a family in debt, it quickly changes focus to art stealing and a traveling to a whole new country for the father and daughter. The cast of quirky characters is always a delight and I enjoyed this as the short read it is.

I recommend it if you enjoyed some of his other work, especially Master Keaton.

[Patrick Flannery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this a lot. I feel it could have been a little longer and that the end was a bit rushed. I loved the set up so much and the end doesn't quite live up to the amazing beginning. I did really like this a lot though

[E. G.]

--Mujirushi: The Sign of Dreams

Author's Note
Sound Effects Glossary
Translation Notes

[Nanang Stiawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Khas urasawa naoki sensei. Bener2 pengalaman membaca cerita yang sangat menarik. Campur aduk dan endingnya sangat diluar dugaan. Layak koleksi

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berharap elex akan menerjemahkan manga tentang Louvre yang lain, terutama Cats of Louvre 😆

[Matthew Vickers · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[hannonle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Urasawa no defrauda. Muy entretenido!