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MとNの肖像 [M to N no Shouzou] #1
Portrait of M and N, Volume 1
迷える子羊・みつると夏彦。“穏やかな学園生活を死守したい”という共通の願いを抱く2人は高校で同じクラスに。だが、ふとした事件でお互いの「もうひとつの顔」を知ってしまった2人に、奇妙な友情が芽生えて…!?
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2000
1 person is currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Tachibana Higuchi
78 books265 followers[[If you're looking for a French translation, search under "L'académie Alice", with the engine set to amazon.fr.]]
Tachibana Higuchi (樋口 橘, HIGUCHI Tachibana), born 1976-03-16 , is a Japanese manga artist. In year 1996, she first made her debut work in Bessatsu Hana to Yume's 5th issue, entitled 5 Gatsu no Sakura (『5月のサクラ』?).
During an interview with Tokyopop, she gave a detailed account of how she started as a mangaka.
"I first submitted a manga story a while after I graduated from high school. Up until then I was studying for the entrance examinations for the Art University, and as part of that, I sometimes drew manga and four-panel strip comics for fun.
"Because I was conscious of the fact that I had started drawing manga in earnest at a later age, I think my progress during the beginning on drawing and storytelling techniques was fast as I frantically tried to absorb everything I could learn about creating manga. After the serialization of the story began, as I got busy, I was so desperate to submit it on time that I feel that the drawings probably haven’t improved much compared to before. During the serialization of the manga, I think my story telling techniques improved more as I concerned myself with how to catch the attention of the readers, how well one can incorporate what the readers are seeking into the story."
Her current ongoing work is Gakuen Alice.
(Wikipedia)
Tachibana Higuchi (樋口 橘, HIGUCHI Tachibana), born 1976-03-16 , is a Japanese manga artist. In year 1996, she first made her debut work in Bessatsu Hana to Yume's 5th issue, entitled 5 Gatsu no Sakura (『5月のサクラ』?).
During an interview with Tokyopop, she gave a detailed account of how she started as a mangaka.
"I first submitted a manga story a while after I graduated from high school. Up until then I was studying for the entrance examinations for the Art University, and as part of that, I sometimes drew manga and four-panel strip comics for fun.
"Because I was conscious of the fact that I had started drawing manga in earnest at a later age, I think my progress during the beginning on drawing and storytelling techniques was fast as I frantically tried to absorb everything I could learn about creating manga. After the serialization of the story began, as I got busy, I was so desperate to submit it on time that I feel that the drawings probably haven’t improved much compared to before. During the serialization of the manga, I think my story telling techniques improved more as I concerned myself with how to catch the attention of the readers, how well one can incorporate what the readers are seeking into the story."
Her current ongoing work is Gakuen Alice.
(Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 7, 2018
I bought this because it sounded super fucked-up. And it was, but nothing really juicy happens, which is what I was hoping for. Still, I think this could have been more interesting if I hadn't found the story progression really jarring. The transition from panel to panel seemed super quick, like there was information missing in between. Most of the time it seemed like the characters were just speaking random words, and not necessarily to each other. The few times there were memories, the distinction between them and present day wasn't really clear. For some reason I also found the narrator super annoying whenever they popped up. As for the popular boy's dark secret, I found it kind of ridiculous... as well as the fact the two main characters in this manga literally have ZERO CONTROL over themselves, in public or private, whenever faced with their fetishes.
P.S. It seemed like the short story at the back was supposed to be romantic but it was NOT. In a way it reminded me of Hot Gimmick except not as good.
P.S. It seemed like the short story at the back was supposed to be romantic but it was NOT. In a way it reminded me of Hot Gimmick except not as good.
January 20, 2018
A strange find in a used bookstore.
This was a unique story for a manga, and with just enough weird, but I was hoping for something much more mature. However, it kept in the Teen range and bordered more on silly. On the other hand, a story with a masochist (and narcissist) that doesn't tip into mature is also an interesting concept.
Two people with very big secrets - M is a masochist, that is instantly driven into desire whenever someone puts her in pain (but not when she puts herself in pain). N is a narcissist that becomes instantly distracted by himself if he sees himself in a mirror (or someone wrecks his BEAUTIFUL face). Like, blocks out everyone else. Right now, their affiliations have become so bad they've cut themselves off from people. When it happens, they can't "snap out of it" without help, hence their team-up. It sets up a very strange relationship, and you can't help but wonder where in the world this story is going to take you.
Obviously there are problems with the portrayal of masochism and narcissism, but bare in mind that those pieces of them manifest so absurdly because of how hard they've suppressed them. I think we'll see a story about them learning to accept themselves, as they accept each other's oddity.
There's also a short story in this volume (Girl in a Birdcage) about this girl being forced into a relationship that is so bizarre, and so very, very different, but I think I dig the direction it went - that a beast character doesn't become a prince, but can become... tamed? At the same, it clearly looks abusive. I'd be interested in how other people interpreted that story and if they liked it.
This was a unique story for a manga, and with just enough weird, but I was hoping for something much more mature. However, it kept in the Teen range and bordered more on silly. On the other hand, a story with a masochist (and narcissist) that doesn't tip into mature is also an interesting concept.
Two people with very big secrets - M is a masochist, that is instantly driven into desire whenever someone puts her in pain (but not when she puts herself in pain). N is a narcissist that becomes instantly distracted by himself if he sees himself in a mirror (or someone wrecks his BEAUTIFUL face). Like, blocks out everyone else. Right now, their affiliations have become so bad they've cut themselves off from people. When it happens, they can't "snap out of it" without help, hence their team-up. It sets up a very strange relationship, and you can't help but wonder where in the world this story is going to take you.
Obviously there are problems with the portrayal of masochism and narcissism, but bare in mind that those pieces of them manifest so absurdly because of how hard they've suppressed them. I think we'll see a story about them learning to accept themselves, as they accept each other's oddity.
There's also a short story in this volume (Girl in a Birdcage) about this girl being forced into a relationship that is so bizarre, and so very, very different, but I think I dig the direction it went - that a beast character doesn't become a prince, but can become... tamed? At the same, it clearly looks abusive. I'd be interested in how other people interpreted that story and if they liked it.
July 29, 2016
Chân dung M & N
Tên khác: M to N no shozo
Tác giả: Tachibana Higuchi
Full 6 cuốn.
---
Rate: 3/5
Như mọi bộ shoujo khác, bộ này hường phấn éo thể tả. Có điều tôi lại đùng phát phải lòng nữ phụ nên đành theo tới cùng. Max nhọ.
Nửa già truyện khiến tôi nhớ mấy bộ shoujo mà tôi đọc từ thời cấp hai. Plot nghe qua thì tương đối thú vị, nhưng diễn biến thì không gây được ấn tượng cho lắm. Kiểu nhân vật nữ uỷ mị xoắn hết cả lên vì nhân vật nam ấy (may mà art không thuộc loại kinh điển của shoujo không chắc chả còn nghi ngờ gì nữa). Lật xem mới hay bộ này xuất bản lần đầu năm 2002. Bảo sao. :v
Tác giả của bộ này hình như rất thích phong cách cổ điển, kiểu art toàn thiên về phong cách ấy. Vẽ tranh đầu chap hoặc thời trang cũng hầu hết lấy cảm hứng từ cổ tích phương Tây. Mà mình thấy bà vẽ cũng hợp phết, trái ngược với lôi về hiện đại thấy hơi dị dị.
Bộ này Trẻ làm bìa nói đi nói lại cũng phải khen cho một câu. Dù cho sau khi nhìn thấy bản bìa tiếng Anh trên GRs thì cũng bớt khen đi một tí. Bìa của Trẻ thiếu chất cổ điển rồi.
Thực ra khá bất ngờ khi tôi có thể cày một mạch xong bộ này, cứ tưởng tâm hồn già nua khô héo của tôi không thể chịu đựng được tí hường phấn nào cơ. Thì ra tôi vẫn còn trẻ lắm.
Tôi rất hay ủng hộ cặp đôi phụ, bộ này cũng không ngoại lệ. Thế mà đến cuối chỉ được mỗi cảnh tặng cúc áo và xin địa chỉ chứ. Đã thế theo spoil 8 năm sau mà hai đứa vẫn vườn không nhà trống. Đm.
T07/2016
Tên khác: M to N no shozo
Tác giả: Tachibana Higuchi
Full 6 cuốn.
---
Rate: 3/5
Như mọi bộ shoujo khác, bộ này hường phấn éo thể tả. Có điều tôi lại đùng phát phải lòng nữ phụ nên đành theo tới cùng. Max nhọ.
Nửa già truyện khiến tôi nhớ mấy bộ shoujo mà tôi đọc từ thời cấp hai. Plot nghe qua thì tương đối thú vị, nhưng diễn biến thì không gây được ấn tượng cho lắm. Kiểu nhân vật nữ uỷ mị xoắn hết cả lên vì nhân vật nam ấy (may mà art không thuộc loại kinh điển của shoujo không chắc chả còn nghi ngờ gì nữa). Lật xem mới hay bộ này xuất bản lần đầu năm 2002. Bảo sao. :v
Tác giả của bộ này hình như rất thích phong cách cổ điển, kiểu art toàn thiên về phong cách ấy. Vẽ tranh đầu chap hoặc thời trang cũng hầu hết lấy cảm hứng từ cổ tích phương Tây. Mà mình thấy bà vẽ cũng hợp phết, trái ngược với lôi về hiện đại thấy hơi dị dị.
Bộ này Trẻ làm bìa nói đi nói lại cũng phải khen cho một câu. Dù cho sau khi nhìn thấy bản bìa tiếng Anh trên GRs thì cũng bớt khen đi một tí. Bìa của Trẻ thiếu chất cổ điển rồi.
Thực ra khá bất ngờ khi tôi có thể cày một mạch xong bộ này, cứ tưởng tâm hồn già nua khô héo của tôi không thể chịu đựng được tí hường phấn nào cơ. Thì ra tôi vẫn còn trẻ lắm.
Tôi rất hay ủng hộ cặp đôi phụ, bộ này cũng không ngoại lệ. Thế mà đến cuối chỉ được mỗi cảnh tặng cúc áo và xin địa chỉ chứ. Đã thế theo spoil 8 năm sau mà hai đứa vẫn vườn không nhà trống. Đm.
T07/2016
July 16, 2018
--- The Portrait of M & N 1-6 ---
Plot: Berjalan ala shoujo-- dengan agak terburu-buru?
Gambar: Ok.
Penokohan: Ok.
Anak gadis itu nampak cantik meski kesannya agak pendiam. Orang-orang seakan menjaga jarak karena auranya ini.
Sedangkan;
Anak lelaki itu sangatlah tampan dan dikelilingi para gadis yang juga memuji ketampanannya.
Tapi apa kalian percaya kalau kedua orang ini punya 'sisi lain'?
Karya kedua Tachibana sensei yang saya baca (sebelumnya saya membaca Alice Academy) ^^. Menurutku ceritanya lumayan ok dan tidak bertele-tele. Bisa dibilang malah kadang terlalu langsung-langsung saja. Yah, seperti sebagaimana shoujo umumnya.
Komik ini berkisah mengenai tokoh utama yang masokis dan narsis (M & N itu mempresentasikan nama dan jabatan mereka X"D //eh). Meski dibalut komedi-agak-aneh ala Tachibana sensei, masalah batin tokohnya seperti biasa, terasa gelap! Untungnya tidak segelap Alice Academy (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). Versi M&N ini mah biasa saja //lho.
Disisi lain, karena sebagian besar komik ini ditujukan untuk komedi, jadi tidak heran jika ada kejadian yang terjadi tanpa ba bi bu be bo. Misalnya fakta kalau dua tokoh utama malah akan menikah terlalu cepat dan si Ibu lah yang sangat menggebu-gebu untuk masalah ini. Kira-kira begitu; dan-- saya agak kesal karena tokoh sampingannya tidak dibahas detil. Padahal kuharap para sahabat tokoh utama bisa benar-benar bersama di masa depan...
....Tapi itu tidak seperti kita tidak bisa membayangkan hal itu. Haha! XD
[7.5/10]
Plot: Berjalan ala shoujo-- dengan agak terburu-buru?
Gambar: Ok.
Penokohan: Ok.
Anak gadis itu nampak cantik meski kesannya agak pendiam. Orang-orang seakan menjaga jarak karena auranya ini.
Sedangkan;
Anak lelaki itu sangatlah tampan dan dikelilingi para gadis yang juga memuji ketampanannya.
Tapi apa kalian percaya kalau kedua orang ini punya 'sisi lain'?
Karya kedua Tachibana sensei yang saya baca (sebelumnya saya membaca Alice Academy) ^^. Menurutku ceritanya lumayan ok dan tidak bertele-tele. Bisa dibilang malah kadang terlalu langsung-langsung saja. Yah, seperti sebagaimana shoujo umumnya.
Komik ini berkisah mengenai tokoh utama yang masokis dan narsis (M & N itu mempresentasikan nama dan jabatan mereka X"D //eh). Meski dibalut komedi-agak-aneh ala Tachibana sensei, masalah batin tokohnya seperti biasa, terasa gelap! Untungnya tidak segelap Alice Academy (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). Versi M&N ini mah biasa saja //lho.
Disisi lain, karena sebagian besar komik ini ditujukan untuk komedi, jadi tidak heran jika ada kejadian yang terjadi tanpa ba bi bu be bo. Misalnya fakta kalau dua tokoh utama malah akan menikah terlalu cepat dan si Ibu lah yang sangat menggebu-gebu untuk masalah ini. Kira-kira begitu; dan-- saya agak kesal karena tokoh sampingannya tidak dibahas detil. Padahal kuharap para sahabat tokoh utama bisa benar-benar bersama di masa depan...
....Tapi itu tidak seperti kita tidak bisa membayangkan hal itu. Haha! XD
[7.5/10]
September 12, 2017
A love story between a narcissist and a masochist......... I was reading this and saying "Uh.......?" This was not very funny but it made me smirk a little... I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around this.... but the story is played in a humorous view, not a sexual one so I think it would be a bit of a light read rather than a heavy one.
January 25, 2018
Wow, completely forgot about this series. It was weird.
January 22, 2024
Tachibana Higuchi’s artwork was charming, and with this one Higuchi delivered a unique story to us.
Read
August 2, 2025Found this at a used bookstore and it unlocked a deep core memory from my childhood, so obviously I had to reread it.
November 8, 2015
Gakuen Alice was a cute little story (though I never did finish reading it thanks to Tokyopop going under), so when I saw that my library has another series by the same mangaka, I thought I'd give it a read. Two volumes in, and so far I am underwhelmed. The story feels disjointed and I don't like either of the protagonists. My library only has through volume 4, but I think the series was 6 six volumes, so whether I stop at volume 2 or read to volume 4, the series will be incomplete for me either way. But, I don't really care. Meh.
February 1, 2013
(3.5) i bought this when i fell in love with Gakuen Alice, as you do in that lust to acquire everything else by the same mangaka. it's earlier and not as good overall, but the same unforced love of oddity animates it. this first volume is a complete 5-chapter story, after which the series got the green light, so i look forward to seeing how Higuchi takes it forwards.
July 29, 2016
The romantic comedy of Masochist X Narcissist. Nice story from the mangaka of Gakuen Alice. :)
December 17, 2010
Weird but interesting. Definitely weird though :)
September 11, 2016
this book is wierd but it's very entertaining and interesting.
I like it
I like it
August 6, 2014
I finally got this book!!!!
*happy dance*
*happy dance*
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews