Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Walkin' Butterfly" in English language version.
A fiercely fashionable fable that won't bore older teens or twenty-somethings
Even Michiko is not your average shojo heroine – she's tough, prickly and prone to bad decision-making. But her flaws are what make her so likeable and relatable.
The artwork is stylish and it crackles with energy that matches the gritty city setting of the story.
English translation is slightly awkward; sometimes lacks natural-sounding dialogue ... Interior typography lacks flair and seems slapped on without really enhancing the story.
The plot sure is shaping up into a fun-filled ride ... Although this manga rises to the occasion, it does not manage to rise head and shoulders above the pack.
Although technically a josei manga, the series begins as a textbook example of ... the shounen "tournament" formula, which calls for a protagonist who is then subjected to an indefinite number of struggles of increasingly difficulty ... For all intents and purposes, Michiko is a shounen manga hero in drag. Like Naruto, Hikaru, and Hanamichi, she is untried, sincere, and perhaps a bit stupid.
Besides, it is not every day that one stumbles across a josei manga that will undoubtedly have both guys and gals alike cheering from the rafters for the protagonist.
Finally, it all blends seamlessly with a standard josei manga art style, akin to that of Moyoco Anno or Yayoi Ogawa, which tries to embody the genre's intended sassy, edgy spirit on the page. In this, as in everything else, the art is functional and skillfully executed but not especially exceptional. Outlines are sketchy; backgrounds and screentones are minimal. This brand of art serves the story, not the other way around.
But the clothing designer has a good point: no matter whether Michiko meets the physical qualifications for the job or not, she's not going to be good at anything until she knows and accepts herself.
Mihara, the fashion designer whose show Michiko crashed earlier, refuses to make compromises, even when it separates him from his family.
But my favorite character is the bitter, aged former model who's trying to tutor Michiko. She's drawn as skull-like and shadowed with hooded, angry eyes. She's seen a lot, and it hasn't been for the better. She's tired but giving one more try to helping Michiko.
Seeing someone else quit gives Michiko new determination to pursue her dream, although she's equally driven by escaping a nightmare, by getting a chance to redo a scene from her past in a better way.
Tamaki's art is sketchy, often resembling fashion drawings, appropriate for her setting.
I'm getting bored of reading about Michiko being depressed and giving up only to vow to try again. These mood swings are tiring, and they don't seem to add up to actual forward progress. Her changes of heart are abrupt and not always believable.
After Michiko starts getting work, the story becomes much more familiar in structure and tone... Suddenly, she seems more like a typical manga heroine, cheery and optimistic. I miss her crazy edges, even if they gave me whiplash. I didn't care for how they were inconsistently portrayed, but at least they made this book different.
In regards to Michiko making it into the world of modeling, the storyline isn't particularly realistic. If Japan is anything like the United States, modeling is a competitive enough field such that no one will bother tolerating an amateur with a temperament as difficult as Michiko's.
However, her rocky foray towards her goal with its fits and starts make her a character that readers can feel for and become interested in.
Though Tamaki has a fairly good sense of pacing, her drawing style is very rough. In one place, Ryo's black hair is darkened with scribble instead of being completely inked in.
That said, Walkin' Butterfly has the hallmarks of a great guilty pleasure, provided our uncouth heroine doesn't lose too many edges in the process.
If you're willing to overlook these minor details, however, Walkin' Butterfly has much to offer the josei reader: a heroine who's a believable mixture of public bravado and private anguish, a worthy love interest, a terrific villain, and a memorable cast of supporting players.
The artwork is also a big plus. Chihiro Tamaki has an energetic, sketch-like style that reminded me of Yayoi Ogawa's. Like Ogawa, Tamaki favors characters with huge, expressive eyes and mouths; Michiko might be a distant relation of Sumire Iwaya, the long-suffering salarywoman of Tramps Like Us.
A few folks may grumble about production values—e.g. the unattractive font used for voice-overs and interior monologues—but most readers will be pleased to see the care with which Walkin' Butterfly was packaged, from the high-quality paper stock to the appealing omake.
