Alanor, The Lycan King's Prisoner [BL]

Why is there about 2 paragraphs of story but more of the chapter is telling of back story of what references are

hello, sorry to bother you but I would also really like to have it please 😔🤲🏻

Just getting started

So, before diving into this review, I should mention that I'm a big fan of Mitsuru Adachi's manga, and "Rough" happens to be one of the most recent series I've completed.  

In comparison to his other works, this manga is relatively short—12 volumes with around 10 chapters each. I actually see this as a positive because some of his longer series, like "H2," tend to drag a little.  

Alright, let me break it down by categories:  

**Story** – It’s been pointed out several times within the manga itself that the main characters are akin to Romeo and Juliet. That alone should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect: rival families whose children fall for each other. The story was warm, sweet, and deeply satisfying. Adachi has a knack for keeping romance grounded and realistic without going overboard, which is something I adore about his work. I never felt bored while reading, and I was genuinely surprised by a few cliffhangers (props to the translator's notes for adding humor).  

**Art** – Classic Adachi style! While his character designs might not seem stunning at first glance and often feel recycled (imagine them as actors playing different roles in a parallel universe), they grow on you due to their soft, approachable forms. Adachi deserves credit here; even though his characters aren’t conventionally "beautiful" by anime/manga standards, they feel more realistic. Plus, his environmental art consistently shines—it's always top-tier.  

**Characters** – Once again, Adachi excels at crafting relatable, well-rounded characters. They fit seamlessly into their worlds, often making you think, "Wow, this feels like such an ideal family!" The character development was solid, and he does a fantastic job maintaining clear distinctions between protagonists and supporting cast members.  

**Enjoyment** – Let’s just say I finished the entire series in 2–3 days. If that’s not enjoyable, I don’t know what is!  

As a final note, I was truly impressed by the ending. I was curious how Adachi would wrap things up, and although his conclusions can sometimes feel predictable (with the exception of "H2"), this one had a unique twist that caught me off guard. Great stuff!

Despite a marital history with an ex involved in synchronized swimming, the theme is clearly not among my interests, especially since it revolves around swimming races and acrobatic diving here, albeit in the background. Moreover, the (hypothetical) age of first loves in high school feels distant for me. So why did I dive into Rough? Well, it was about dipping into Adachi's world, the cult author of teenage sports sagas from the '80s. And I must admit that despite my relatively minimal interest in the topics covered, I still enjoyed reading it.

Firstly, Adachi’s clear, limpid line retains a crazy charm in an era where visual overload has made so many works hard to digest. Also, even if they are small delicate touches, thanks to humor that doesn’t hesitate to include some meta winks (to other Adachi series, to the ill-faith clarification of certain elements specific to the work's own diegesis), and while we don't avoid the eternal quid pro quo that smells of mint, and the few obligatory serial lengths, it's thanks to a rather light sensitivity. In the great lineage of Romeo & Juliet derivatives, Rough is almost a low-cost parody (two families of pastry chefs hate each other, and thus make their offspring of opposite sexes rivals). It's about sketching a duo initially in rejection, before finally pushing them more or less into each other's arms. Add to this equation with two easily soluble unknowns a mentor/rival, then another pair of rivals, and you get a pool of situations that can roughly hold the dozen volumes.

On the substance, the point that was bothering me (the sporting issue being strongly correlated with obtaining a female trophy) is finely defused in a finale that skillfully manages to thwart the moral expectation (the sentimental choice is disconnected at the last moment from the winner) as well as the expected narrative (the great final race, after being delayed for a year by an impromptu deus ex machina, has almost gone under ellipsis). Like how, behind a clear line, can lurk a small but well-felt blind spot.

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It's a shame, really. This series has an unsatisfying conclusion. As the scanlators mentioned in their manga download notes, it's one of Adachi's finest comics when they translated it.

Ahh... I just wished that the mangaka hadn't spent some pages on scenes that were completely off-topic. But since it was published in 1989 or thereabouts, it couldn't be helped.

... Because it seemed like he needed a few more chapters for a more conclusive ending.

Story: 8
From the beginning, or somewhere in the middle of this 119-chapter series, it had the potential to score a 10. The sad thing is, some aspects were dragged out too long, and some "filler" panels wasted chapters. The plot development was incomplete, along with plot consistency. However, this is still a great comic, one of my favorites, as the story has great realistic value and covers some highly desirable values.

Pros:
+> Sportsmanship, hard work, camaraderie, loyalty, etc., were well depicted in this sports-romance centered comic.
+> The storytelling method was smooth except for a few kinks here and there. It was able to move readers.
+> Main characters played a significant role in other people's lives.

Cons:
-> Characters exhibited some strange personalities towards the end.
-> The romance wasn't developed very well, especially given the ending.
-> Not enough explanation was provided for certain circumstances, including the ending.
-> The story was kind of slow in some parts, especially at the start of the series, and rushed near the end.
-> Some parts of the story were a bit strange, even eerily unrealistic (like Yamato's strange luck in a competition. It made it seem like luck was more important than ability. Don't worry, it's only for a couple of chapters.)

The storyline focuses heavily on sports and high school romance, along with some Romeo and Juliet references, so if you enjoy these genres, give it a try.

Art: 9
I immediately recognized that this manga was published in the 1980s-1990s because of the art style, something akin to Ranma 1/2 or Kimagure Orange Road.

What's spectacular about the art is that from the early stages until about the middle of the series, the drawings of the scenery amazed me. There was a lot of detail, and they looked realistic. But after a certain point, they seemed less realistic.

Expressions were nicely drawn, but some panels seemed to jump too much from the previous panel, leaving me unsure what the panel meant.

Its art remains impressive even by today's standards, in 2010. A lot of effort must have been put in to achieve such detailed art in a manga. Some panels look like they should be in a museum :D.

Character: 9
Very nice development of some characters, particularly the main characters' personalities. However, the main characters' pasts weren't explored enough, leaving a cliffhanger, and events near the ending made it even more perplexing.

Character personalities were pretty stable throughout the series, although some characters were introduced and then abandoned.

It's a pity the mangaka couldn't stay more focused on the main characters.

Enjoyment: 8
Sometimes draggy and slow, but it is very touching and inspiring at some points. A must-read for sports fans or athletes interested in this kind of manga. Plenty to agree with, as it's quite realistic.

By the way, the romance in Rough reminded me a bit of Yume de Aetara.

Overall: 8
Depending on preferences, you may like or dislike this comic. The character art is awfully simplistic, and some panels literally show nothing but take up a lot of space. But the storyline is a good one, though the ending wasn't so great. Well, come to think of it, it might have been a good ending, oh well.

If you like this series, try the mangaka's other works or Yume de Aetara.

P.S. I thought that this series would have worked better as an anime than a manga, since some parts would benefit from voice acting and others would be better if we knew the timing of some actions.

I’m not going to elaborate too much on Mitsuru Adachi’s "Rough." I merely wanted to highlight a couple of aspects that struck me as noteworthy enough to warrant explaining why I find them intriguing.

Adachi is primarily known to me as The Baseball Manga Guy. While I acknowledge he has explored other genres and sports, it's hard to deny that his reputation largely rests on his baseball works, mainly "Touch," "H2," and "Cross Game." Before proceeding, I should disclose my biases: I detest baseball and find it excruciatingly dull; additionally, I've only read one of his actual manga works (though I’ve watched the entire "Cross Game" anime and about a third of the "Touch" anime). Please keep in mind that my observations regarding "Rough" and Adachi stem from a relatively limited sample of his work.

First observation: the main characters in "Rough" possess complex inner lives revealed not through soul-bearing monologues but through actions. One of Adachi's strengths is crafting characters who are entirely self-aware. Sure, they might not wish to admit or verbalize their feelings, but at every moment, they're acutely conscious of their actions and motivations. Comparing the protagonist of "Rough" to similar works highlights the remarkable level of self-knowledge these characters exhibit. They aren't confused or lost; instead, they're remarkably self-assured. Even more fascinating is how Adachi conveys their thoughts. There are countless panels where his characters witness something or find themselves in situations that could prompt dialogue illuminating their thought processes, yet Adachi refrains. Instead, he provides a panel with just a sidelong glance or an almost blank reaction, trusting the reader to fill in the blanks and recognize that his characters' minds are always fully engaged. Thus, when romantic gestures do occur, they're grounded in volumes of accumulated body language, subtle visual cues, and nuanced storytelling. It's far more intricate than simply saying "I love you" – it verges on the sublime.

This leads to my second observation: Adachi's confidence in his style and approach. Reading "Rough," I often marveled at the simplicity and clarity of Adachi's storytelling. He frequently begins chapters with a few pages of still-life scenery (an empty baseball diamond, a classroom, the classroom clock). This isn't mere scene-setting; it's akin to Ozu's pillow shots in film. These panels help us enter a specific mode of consciousness, making us more receptive to the characters' interactions on both a plot-driven and a broader emotional level. By easing us into the story with these partial glimpses, Adachi enables us to link the characters' experiences to our own memories. For instance, the empty classroom, though perhaps a Japanese visual cliché by now, evokes images from our own lives, fostering an instinctual emotional connection to the characters' experiences. Adachi allows us to both observe the story and perceive how it represents certain rhythms, philosophies, and attitudes. Much like Ozu, he revisits the same basic subjects and themes, reworking them and combining them differently, sometimes starting in the same place but ending somewhere distinct.

However, that last point is something I’ll need to explore further. After all, it’s all part of the research process.

copied/pasted from my blog: thenextthingblog.wordpress.com