Manga Review: Kaito Shuno

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Title: Kaito Shuno
Artist: angelperez
Genre: Yaoi, Romance, Comedy, Drama, Thriller, Action
Chapters (So far): 53
Website: Begin Reading Here.... YOU BETTER CLICK IT OR I'LL CRY
Rating: 

Please note: This is a BL (Boy's Love) Manga. I (Sara) do not discriminate against sexuality, love relationships, or nearly everything else you could possibly discriminate against, except for Yuri/Shoujo-Ai because I don't like GirlXGirl. Anyhoo, if you are not comfortable with a BL Manga/comic, please do not disrespect the artist, the manga, or myself by leaving comments on either the artist's website or on BNR. If you are more open-minded and free of different relationships, then please keep reading. :D

Summary: A man named Kaito goes to commit suicide after living a boring, loveless, cubicle job. He meets a strange guy named Shuno...and Shuno immediately takes a liking to him...almost too fast to be real XD Kaito quickly makes it clear that he isnt gay...but will Shuno's actions toward him make him a little...'confused'? lol Kaito's been in such a need for love that maybe Shuno's affection doesnt look THAT bad...or does it?:P

Review:

Kaito.. I see what you did thar...

Three words: I love it. The story line, the plot twists, it's brilliant. BLOODY BRILLIANT!
So, basically, this story is about a "straight" guy, Kaito, who is struggling with life at the moment and in his past. While attempting suicide, a spectator, Shunoki (Shuno) watches him. And watches him. And watches him. Kaito, confused as to why this guy wouldn't stop him from committing suicide, is pissed off and one thing leads to another, and now they are living together! BAZAM! So this normal and average guy is thrust into this crazy story of love and needed drama.

Anyhoo, this story has got what any person needs: Love, drama, thrills, comedy, action, and boys. Two very cute boys who are the main characters! Buwahahahaha!! 

*cough*.. Anyways, onto characters!

Characters:

Red Eyes = Shuno
Green/Blue Eyes = Kaito

Kaito: Kaito, you're just pretty freaking awesome. There is so much potential as a character for Kaito, and Angel excellently utilizes his personality, past, and gestures to convey his emotions and thoughts. He is a well-thought out character. There isn't this weird and immediate personality change from page 1 of chapter 1 to page 6 of chapter 9. (See what I did there...? Sorry kids, however an idea for Angel! ;D <- I'm a perv..) The readers get to watch Kaito grow into the person he truly and really is. Kaito is especially interesting when his inner Uke is showing. *3* (If you don't know what a Uke is, go read a Yaoi manga and Google it.)

Shuno *3*

Shuno: Words cannot describe how much I love Shuno. Seriously, my god. He's just... Simply put: Awesome xInfinity. Angel has done an amazing job with Shuno and developing his character. When we see what Shuno has gone through, the readers (at least I did) really understand why he is the way he is. He's just a lost kid. He's gotten love, however, it was always removed from him. I really feel for Shuno with his eccentricity as well as his sadness. And the comic relief from this guy!... ROFLMFAO! Seriously, hours of that from Shuno. He's just.. A boss.

Art & Panel: 

Firstly, I want to point out the art. The art may seem mainstream by all means. However, Angel kicks up the notch with her own interpretations and styles. The regular drawings are always improving, and Angel's chibis are too freaking cute and adorable to describe without gushing and vomiting rainbows. (Seriously though..) She flashes out colors for small sequences or to emphasize a point; many times a reader sees a color, it is usually for Kaito's and/or Shuno's eyes, which just make them pop out from the rest of the people in the comic. She also uses something I have never ever seen before: Coloring the entire page.

You probably don't really get what I mean, but look at this page below:

See what I mean by color? And look at
those cuties!!

Have you seen this before?

I sure haven't. But what's fantastic about this is the interchangeability to be able to convey when a place is at night, in the day, in light, or in the dark. In most Mangas or comics, you don't know. So if it becomes an anime adaption, you might not expect that scene to be in the day or in the night like you imagined (I've experienced that before). With this, Angel is able to convey that "this is taking place at night" or "there is light in this picture" without explicitly having to say the time like in some Mangas. Additionally, this technique also gives the reader a better picture of when this is happening. If the page is greyed out or isn't, this supports the context of the story, especially with gestures or dialogue. Like in the above picture, it kind of gives the impression that "Okay, so it's night. Why is this guy just sitting on a bench in the middle of the night?!" It kind of makes you curious as to who this guy is. I might try this technique (and epically fail at it) in my comic. It's pretty awesome to see new techniques that an upcoming artist can utilize and upgrade if they can find any upgrades.

Not only is Angel superb in creating an atmosphere from simply coloring the page, she is also fantastic at creating a build-up and a conclusion from page to page. Look at this page below:

GIRL, LOOK AT THOSE CHIBIS!
(AH!)... LMFAO reference....

You want to keep reading because you want to know what's going to happen next. This is effectively used to create quick suspense and quick conclusion. It paces a nice and moderate speed, which doesn't force the reader try to keep up with the flood of information. Angel keeps it at a steady and chill pace, which 99.99% of readers appreciate, especially me.

Overall:

So, I give Kaito Shuno a 4/4 polishes. The story is well thought out and paces very well in nearly all chapters. We see both the happy, sad, angry, and tragic sides of each protagonist, which, not only creates a relate-able relationship with the audience, but a sense of realism. We witness the struggles of individuals who have insecurities because of external influences, such as parents, friends, or the environment he/she grew up in. Angel has created realistic personalities in both characters, and we see the progression of individual and couple growth. That growth creates a connection with the audience and makes the audience feel what the character feels. The art exceeds expectations of an upcoming artist and utilizes techniques that some "pros" don't even use or hardly know. I am always looking forward to Angel's updates, and I hope to see more of Kaito and Shuno later on. Keep up the good work, and everyone, go support Angel and her awesome-tastic Manga. It is well deserved. :)

I'm leaving you with one of my favorite pages... Only because of Shuno... Yeahhhhh... Shuno is a boss... Just.. Panel 6... Is the shit... YER...

All art used in this review is from the Manga, Kaito Shuno. Drawn all by Angelperez.

Inked with Love and Brilliance,

Sara