Walkin' Butterfly

Review Date: 2007 August 06 17:11

Reviewed by: LittleWoodenBoy

Released by: Aurora Publishing

Publishing Country: USA

Author: Chihiro Tamaki

Age Rating: 16+

Page Count: 154

ISBN-13: 9781934496008

Summary

Tall girl Michiko is mistaken for a model and dressed up to go on the catwalk. The designer of the clothes Mihara, see Michiko and refuses to let her so out stating she doesnt know her true self. She decides to take revenge by becoming a model to meet Mihara once again.

Review

Michiko has a real complex about her height. Standing at six feet tall its not much of a surprise. Its lead her to believe she is different from everyone else. However, while delivering a pizza to the models at a fashion show, she finds a lot of other women the same height as her. She is then mistaken for one of the models that's running late and dressed ready to walk along the catwalk. Before she can go out though, the clothing designer, Mihara, stops her and tells her she can't make it as a model as she doesn't know her true self. In a fit of anger, she goes out onto the catwalk. Greeted with stares and harsh comments she runs straight for the exit. This begins Walkin' Butterfly's main premise of Michiko trying to become a model to meet Mihara again, while also making her a woman worthy of a certain man's affections (of course there had to be a love interest as well).

The latter half of the first volume see's Michiko trying to get into the modelling business by going to the rather troubled Tago International agency. In order to be taken seriously she decides to resort to a fairly drastic method.

The opening volume only has two chapters (not counting the five page bonus chapter) but each on runs in at least sixty pages. With longer chapters, the story may unfold slowly, but gives you more of an insight into the thoughts and mindset of Michiko. Though the manga-ka does mention she would like it to be faster paced as it progresses in the bonus interview at the back of the book.

As with almost all manga, the art style may not be to everyone's liking but it is consistent throughout the volume. Though the style is drastically changed to a far more cartoony approach for the bonus chapter.

The only confusing part of the volume comes in with the bonus interview. The manga section is kept in its original right to left orientation, but the interview part reads left to right. It just comes as a surprise as you start reading the last page of the interview first.

Rating: 6/10