Lives in 80's New York as envisioned by a Japanese manga-ka
So, there is this 24 year old shoujo manga called Cipher, which is about identical twins named Siva and Cipher and their friends/family/acquaintances, living in the 80's New York. The manga is obviously dated, but I like the story it tells. Oh, Siva and Cipher are stage names (they are famous actors who got their first work since they were ten months old). Their real names are Jake and Roy. I think volume 6(?) reveals the origins of their stage names and their meanings. Siva is a Hindu god who creates things and destroys them. Cipher, of course, means zero. So basically their names are the same: sort of back to the beginning if I understand correctly.
I've read around and found, to my dismay, that the U.S. version of volume one seem to put some people off this manga. And I can't even say they don't have reasons to be wary. Personally, I love the manga, but I can't be sure myself if I would have been put off if the U.S. version was my first introduction to this manga. I mean, putting English letters
v
e
r
t
i
c
a
l
l
y
should not be done at all. Sure, it works fine for Japanese letters, but see how irritating it looks here.
As for the story itself, I can't really put my fingers on it why it appeals to me so much. Perhaps because it is set in the U.S., not Japan, but of course with Japanese bias. Not that I know better than the author what 80's New York was supposed to be like. Or perhaps it is more because it is not really about two characters who can't decide whether they love each other or not, when it's obvious to everyone else that they do. This manga tells stories of the twins and of the people they meet. There are many characters, but I've learned to care about most of them. (Yeah, just as in real life, there are some type of people I can't stand, no matter how hard I try.)
In the first volume, the twins go to high school as the same person, Siva. The other one stays home and out of sight. Part of the fun for me was to look forward to if/when they would be found out, that both of them share the same identity. (Of course they would be discovered, that's a given. I was just interested in the manner the revelation is unfold, and by whom.)
Oh well, I'll probably talk more about this manga when my head is more clear...
I've read around and found, to my dismay, that the U.S. version of volume one seem to put some people off this manga. And I can't even say they don't have reasons to be wary. Personally, I love the manga, but I can't be sure myself if I would have been put off if the U.S. version was my first introduction to this manga. I mean, putting English letters
v
e
r
t
i
c
a
l
l
y
should not be done at all. Sure, it works fine for Japanese letters, but see how irritating it looks here.
As for the story itself, I can't really put my fingers on it why it appeals to me so much. Perhaps because it is set in the U.S., not Japan, but of course with Japanese bias. Not that I know better than the author what 80's New York was supposed to be like. Or perhaps it is more because it is not really about two characters who can't decide whether they love each other or not, when it's obvious to everyone else that they do. This manga tells stories of the twins and of the people they meet. There are many characters, but I've learned to care about most of them. (Yeah, just as in real life, there are some type of people I can't stand, no matter how hard I try.)
In the first volume, the twins go to high school as the same person, Siva. The other one stays home and out of sight. Part of the fun for me was to look forward to if/when they would be found out, that both of them share the same identity. (Of course they would be discovered, that's a given. I was just interested in the manner the revelation is unfold, and by whom.)
Oh well, I'll probably talk more about this manga when my head is more clear...