Rate this book

Anything And Something - Kaoru Mori's Short Story Collection (2014)

by Kaoru Mori(Favorite Author)

3.61 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Graphic Novels & Comics

publisher

Level Comics

review 1: It's a little uneven in parts due to the nature of the book ("Anything and Something" is a pretty accurate description), but Mori's humor is there throughout to make the rougher transitions easier to swallow. The short stories are a lot of fun, and best of all, there is plenty of Mori's beautiful art. This is definitely something for established fans of Mori though--it will not have any real meaning to anyone who isn't already familiar with at least one of her works.
review 2: I was previously only familiar with Kaoru Mori from the first volume of A Bride's Story, which is incredible and has some of the most detailed and beautiful art I've ever seen. This collection gave an opportunity to check out more of her work and, since the contents were pulled from a te... moren year period, see how it has evolved. Anything and Something is part short fiction, part artbook/sketchbook (125 pages and 75 pages, respectively). A major part of why I was interested in this is Mori's art and I enjoy side information and notes, so I was happy with this, but it is worth mentioning in case anyone is expecting a full 200 pages of shorts. The artbook portion contains a variety of designs, promotional materials and sketch comics.I wasn't sure what to expect from Mori's stories once I saw the cover for this volume. Most prominent on the cover is an adult, regal looking maid. Then we have a provocatively posed bunny girl, and finally a young girl in formal school attire. It turns out the cover is quite representative - maids, fanservice and school are the subject matter of all the included stories (and combined in a couple). The stories are very odd, in subject matter, pacing and approach. This isn't a criticism, as I found most of them interesting, but it does make it hard to describe them and it is worth noting that these are rather unique and might be too weird for some readers. The focus is very tight. For example - one story revolves simply around getting a pair of glasses for the first time. Another is about trying on an old swimsuit. A particularly amusing story is about growing into too-large formal school uniforms. And so on...My favorite was the longest, titled Sumire's Flowers. This was a good four times the length of any other story and correspondingly more complex. While it still could've used a little more explanation in parts, it was a strong, emotional story about two competing art students. The art is surprisingly different from story to story, even given the long time frame. Not only does Mori's style change over time, but her designs vary by subject matter. There is also a big difference to the art when she does her own screen tones (something she points out for certain stories in the afterward notes). Put together there's huge variety in the art here. And ALL of it is wonderful, which is extremely impressive.Equally impressive is the deft touch everything is done with. Even in the stories that seem to be primarily for fanservice (and there are several) there is a sense of grace to the art and interesting emotional slants to the context. The Swimsuit Bought Long Ago is a good example, as despite being seven pages devoted to an attractive woman trying on a swimsuit it is a nicely done, complete story. Anything and Something is a pretty good self description of this collection. Definitely off the beaten path and not for everyone, but very good stuff if you can take it for what it is. Recommended. less

Download links for: Anything And Something - Kaoru Mori's Short Story Collection

Advertising