Thanks for your comments! Yes, at first I also was kinda not very attracted to the art style. But as I got into the story, the art bothered me less and less. Kinda like FUJISAKI Kou - when I was first introduced to her work, the art was so strange - the men were so angular. But someone I know recommended FUJISAKI Kou, so I started to read her works. I soon got interested in the storyline, and now I look forward to anything I can get.
One thing I noticed about ISHIDA-sensei (at least in the works I've read so far), is that you can't rush through these pieces. The character development is very subtle, and the background art often has subtle but very important clues as to what is actually going on. I've learned that if I'm not very happy by the end of the story, I need to go back and re-read. It's often (okay, usually) the case that I completely missed an important (something or other), usually said as an 'aside' or as a note in the background. And this completely changes how I understand a character, and often how I see a situation. With this new (to me) info, I feel differently about the piece. This happened with "The World is Full of Cheating Boyfriends". I'll post something on that one next week.
Something I don't really like is that I wish ISHIDA-sensei's stories had a more 'complete' feel, but I do notice that this is getting better as her work progresses. And really, if I had to choose, I'd rather a story feel not complete than have poor/uninteresting character development or lousy storyline.
It's worth it to note that this isn't to say that her works have that incomplete feel, because they often have very satisfying conclusions. (at least the ones I've read so far).
Ooooh, yes, I love Ian Rankin. Oddly enough, when I lived in Scotland I didn't read him as much, haha. (well, at the time I was doing post-grad research and writing, so I didn't have time to read much outside my work). Now you've made me go find something of his to read... (thanks!)
edit: sorry for so many 'edits'. the phone kept ringing and I'd have to answer it and then I kept losing my place, haha. m(_ _#)m
no subject
One thing I noticed about ISHIDA-sensei (at least in the works I've read so far), is that you can't rush through these pieces. The character development is very subtle, and the background art often has subtle but very important clues as to what is actually going on. I've learned that if I'm not very happy by the end of the story, I need to go back and re-read. It's often (okay, usually) the case that I completely missed an important (something or other), usually said as an 'aside' or as a note in the background. And this completely changes how I understand a character, and often how I see a situation. With this new (to me) info, I feel differently about the piece. This happened with "The World is Full of Cheating Boyfriends". I'll post something on that one next week.
Something I don't really like is that I wish ISHIDA-sensei's stories had a more 'complete' feel, but I do notice that this is getting better as her work progresses. And really, if I had to choose, I'd rather a story feel not complete than have poor/uninteresting character development or lousy storyline.
It's worth it to note that this isn't to say that her works have that incomplete feel, because they often have very satisfying conclusions. (at least the ones I've read so far).
Ooooh, yes, I love Ian Rankin. Oddly enough, when I lived in Scotland I didn't read him as much, haha. (well, at the time I was doing post-grad research and writing, so I didn't have time to read much outside my work). Now you've made me go find something of his to read... (thanks!)
edit: sorry for so many 'edits'. the phone kept ringing and I'd have to answer it and then I kept losing my place, haha.
m(_ _#)m