VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia
MANGAKA: Ryoko Fukuyama
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Casey Loe
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
EDITOR: Amy Yu
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1078-2; paperback (January 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK
Anonymous Noise is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ryoko Fukuyama. The series was serialized in the Japanese shojo manga magazine, Hana to Yumi (Hakusensha), from April 2013 to January 2019. VIZ Media published an English-language edition of the manga as an 18-volume graphic novel series, cover dated from March 2017 to January 2020, under its “Shojo Beat” imprint.
Anonymous Noise focuses on Nino Arisugawa. When she was a child, Nino experiences two heart-wrenching goodbyes. The first is Momo Sakaki, to whom she loves to sing, but he suddenly moves away. Next is the young songwriter, Kanade “Yuzu” Yuzuriha, who nicknames Nino, “Alice.” Before he moves away, he tells Nino that she should sing instead of scream. Now, Nino is in high school and is the lead singer of the band, “In No Hurry to Shout” a.k.a. “In No Hurry.” She is reunited with Momo and Yuzu, but things are complicated...
As Anonymous Noise, Vol. 18 (Chapters 99 to 104) opens, Nino is busier than ever, working hard to be a better singer. The single, “Contemporary,” her latest duet with the band, Girlless, has just been released. In No Hurry is still on hiatus, and although Yuzu has returned from his sojourn to Europe with his mother, he has so much classwork for which he has to make up.
Before they know it, however, summer arrives, and In No Hurry is performing at Rock Horizon – on the much sought-after “Horizon Stage.” So what does the future hold for everyone? Will Yuzu reconcile his past with his present. Where is Nino's relationship with Momo going? How will Nino resolve her feelings for Yuzu so that In No Hurry can keeping hurrying along?
The Anonymous Noise manga will keeping on rocking, long after the series ends. This tale of love and rock music is kind of a never-ending story.
Anonymous Noise Graphic Novel Volume 18 is the final volume of the series. I am late getting to it, as Vol. 18 was published in early January of this year (2020). Creator Ryoko Fukuyama offers a perfectly happy ending, and although I don't want to spoil it for you, dear readers, I can say that everyone gets most of what he or she wants. Yuzu gets to keep loving Momo and Yuzu, but in a different way for each young musician. Is it happily ever after? Who really wants that? I can say that I would not be surprised to see future Anonymous Noise one-off or one-shot type sequel stories.
To the end, Casey Loe does excellent work on the translation and English adaptation, capturing the hope, happiness, and sense of the future in this series. Letterer Joanna Estep finishes her work on Anonymous Noise with a crescendo and with a smile. Everyone on both sides of the Pacific made Anonymous Noise a manga and graphic novel series worthy of being a perennial favorite.
A
9 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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