Walkin' Butterfly

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Walkin' Butterfly
Walkin' Butterfly Volume 1 (English).jpg
Cover of Walkin' Butterfly volume 1 published by Aurora
ウォーキン・バタフライ
Genre Drama
Magazine Vanilla
Demographic Josei
Original run2003 – 2007
Volumes4
August 2007 [13] 978-1-934496-00-8
2 24 November 2006 [14] 4-7767-9291-5 January 2008 [15] 978-1-934496-06-0
3 19 July 2007 [16] 978-4-7767-9369-4 May 2008 [17] 978-1-934496-18-3
4 December 2007 [18] 978-4-7767-9417-2 — 978-1-934496-30-5

Drama

The live-action drama, titled Walkin'☆Butterfly (ウォーキン☆バタフライ, in katakana instead of rōmaji like the manga), was broadcast in 12 episodes on TV Tokyo starting on 11 July 2008, [1] and running until 26 September. It starred Aoi Nakabeppu as Michiko Torayasu and Jun Toba as Kou Mihara. The opening theme was "Seiippai, Bokura no Uta" by ghostnote and the ending theme was "Ima Fuku Kaze" by Hi Lockation Markets. Some of the actors appeared in the theatrical movie Flying☆Rabbits playing the same characters as in the drama [19] and the Japanese store, Toudoukan was used as a filming location in 2008. [20]

Reception

Reviewers have called Walkin' Butterfly an entertaining but not original series. [21] [22] [23] Anime News Network compared the story to a josei manga version of a shōnen tournament series aimed at boys, [24] saying "nothing here about the plot or the characters is particularly believable or novel. Instead, it is comfortably formulaic; the pleasure of Walkin' Butterfly lies not so much in the discovery of what happens next but rather in how what happens next happens." [21] Mania.com described the series as "not particularly realistic," but called it "an interesting balance of comedy and poignancy." [25] The character of Michiko was cited by more than one reviewer as a key appeal of the series. [26] [27] [28] [29] Tamaki's art received mixed reviews, with several reviewers praising it, [30] [31] comparing the style to Moyoco Anno's and Yayoi Ogawa's, [32] [33] and others criticizing it as "standard" and sketchy. [32] [34] Reviewers criticized later volumes for allowing Michiko's mood swings to get tiresome, [35] and for switching to a more "standard" storyline. [36] The English edition was criticized as sometimes using awkward language and typography. [37] [38]

Walkin' Butterfly was voted the 2nd best new josei manga in English of 2007 by readers of About.com. [39] The series was a finalist for YALSA's 2008 list of Great Graphic Novels for teens. [40]

Related Research Articles

Rumiko Takahashi is a Japanese manga artist. With a career of several commercially successful works, beginning with Urusei Yatsura in 1978, she is one of Japan's best-known and wealthiest manga artists. Her works are popular worldwide, where they have been translated into a variety of languages, with over 200 million copies in circulation; making Takahashi one of the best-selling authors of all time. She has won the Shogakukan Manga Award twice, once in 1980 for Urusei Yatsura and again in 2001 for Inuyasha, and the Seiun Award twice, once in 1987 for Urusei Yatsura and again in 1989 for Mermaid Saga. She also received the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême in 2019, becoming the second woman and second Japanese to win the prize. In 2020, the Japanese government awarded Takahashi the Medal with Purple Ribbon for her contributions to the arts.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Chihiro Tamaki's Walkin' Butterfly Manga Gets TV Drama". Anime News Network. 18 June 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  2. ↑ Carlson, Johanna Draper (14 January 2008). "Walkin' Butterfly Book 1". Comics Worth Reading. Retrieved 24 January 2009. 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.
  3. ↑ Carlson, Johanna Draper (2 March 2008). "Walkin' Butterfly Book 2". Comics Worth Reading. Retrieved 24 January 2009. Mihara, the fashion designer whose show Michiko crashed earlier, refuses to make compromises, even when it separates him from his family.
  4. ↑ Carlson, Johanna Draper (2 March 2008). "Walkin' Butterfly Book 2". Comics Worth Reading. Retrieved 24 January 2009. 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.
  5. ↑ Carlson, Johanna Draper (30 June 2008). "Walkin' Butterfly Book 3". Comics Worth Reading. Retrieved 24 January 2009. 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.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Tamaki, Chihiro (August 2007). "Talkin' Butterfly: An Interview with Chihiro Tamaki". Walkin' Butterfly volume 1. Aurora Publishing. p. unnumbered. ISBN   978-1-934496-00-8.
  7. ↑ Tamaki, Chihiro (August 2007). "Talkin' Butterfly: An Interview with Chihiro Tamaki". Walkin' Butterfly volume 1. Aurora Publishing. p. unnumbered. ISBN   978-1-934496-00-8. Since the heroine is a fashion model, I thought of using the word "walking" in the title. Using a butterfly as a metaphor for a growing girl, the idea of a butterfly walking down the runway was one origin of the title. Another image I had was of a butterfly—which would normally fly—walking. Here, I meant that, the heroine Michiko, while in the prime of her youth, experiences repeated failures and struggles as she grows up, the way a chrysalis metamorphoses into a butterfly.
  8. 1 2 "テレビドラマ化決定!! ファッション界騒然の注目作!「Walkin' Butterfly(ウォーキン·バタフライ)」(たまきちひろ)" (in Japanese). Ohzora Publishing. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  9. ↑ "Aurora Publishing > Manga Series > Walkin' Butterfly". Aurora Publishing. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  10. ↑ "Age Called Blue Boys-Love Manga Posted in English". Anime News Network. 22 April 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  11. ↑ Enevi (12 October 2013). "Walkin' Butterfly tom 1". Tanuki.pl (in Polish). Warsaw: Małgorzata Kaczarowska. 249 (2914). ISSN   1898-8296 . Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  12. ↑ "Amazon.co.jp Walkin' Butterfly 1 (1): たまき ちひろ: 本" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  13. ↑ "Walkin' Butterfly: Volume 1". Aurora Publishing . Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  14. ↑ "Amazon.co.jp Walkin' Butterfly 2 (2): たまき ちひろ: 本" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  15. ↑ "Walkin' Butterfly: Volume 2". Aurora Publishing . Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  16. ↑ "Amazon.co.jp Walkin' Butterfly 3 (3): たまき ちひろ: 本" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  17. ↑ "Walkin' Butterfly: Volume 3". Aurora Publishing . Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  18. ↑ "Amazon.co.jp: Walkin' Butterfly 4 (4): たまき ちひろ: 本" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  19. ↑ "Toray model Nakabeppu to star in "Walkin' Butterfly" drama series". Tokyograph. 18 June 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  20. ↑ メディア掲載情報, web: Toudoukan, 2022, retrieved 13 March 2023
  21. 1 2 Brienza, Casey (28 June 2008). "Review: Walkin' Butterfly GN 1". Anime News Network . Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.
  22. ↑ Aoki, Deb. "Walkin' Butterfly Volume 1 – Josei Manga Review". About.com . Retrieved 11 January 2009. A fiercely fashionable fable that won't bore older teens or twenty-somethings
  23. ↑ Dacey, Katherine (2 September 2007). "Weekly Recon, 9/6/07". Pop Culture Shock. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  24. ↑ Brienza, Casey (28 June 2008). "Review: Walkin' Butterfly GN 1". Anime News Network . Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.
  25. ↑ Eries, Sakura (2 July 2008). "Walkin' Butterfly Vol. #01". Mania.com. Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.
  26. ↑ Brienza, Casey (28 June 2008). "Review: Walkin' Butterfly GN 1". Anime News Network . Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.
  27. ↑ Aoki, Deb. "Walkin' Butterfly Volume 1 – Josei Manga Review". About.com . Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.
  28. ↑ Eries, Sakura (2 July 2008). "Walkin' Butterfly Vol. #01". Mania.com. Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.
  29. ↑ Dacey, Katherine (2 September 2007). "Weekly Recon, 9/6/07". Pop Culture Shock. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  30. ↑ Aoki, Deb. "Walkin' Butterfly Volume 1 - Josei Manga Review". About.com . Retrieved 11 January 2009. The artwork is stylish and it crackles with energy that matches the gritty city setting of the story.
  31. ↑ Carlson, Johanna Draper (14 January 2008). "Walkin' Butterfly Book 1". Comics Worth Reading. Retrieved 24 January 2009. Tamaki's art is sketchy, often resembling fashion drawings, appropriate for her setting.
  32. 1 2 Brienza, Casey (28 June 2008). "Review: Walkin' Butterfly GN 1". Anime News Network . Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.
  33. ↑ Dacey, Katherine (2 September 2007). "Weekly Recon, 9/6/07". Pop Culture Shock. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  34. ↑ Eries, Sakura (2 July 2008). "Walkin' Butterfly Vol. #01". Mania.com. Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.
  35. ↑ Carlson, Johanna Draper (30 June 2008). "Walkin' Butterfly Book 3". Comics Worth Reading. Retrieved 24 January 2009. 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.
  36. ↑ Carlson, Johanna Draper (30 June 2008). "Walkin' Butterfly Book 3". Comics Worth Reading. Retrieved 24 January 2009. 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.
  37. ↑ Aoki, Deb. "Walkin' Butterfly Volume 1 - Josei Manga Review". About.com . Retrieved 11 January 2009. English translation is slightly awkward; sometimes lacks natural-sounding dialogue ... Interior typography lacks flair and seems slapped on without really enhancing the story.
  38. ↑ Dacey, Katherine (2 September 2007). "Weekly Recon, 9/6/07". Pop Culture Shock. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2009. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  39. ↑ Aoki, Deb. "2007 Readers Poll: Best New Josei Manga". About.com . Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  40. ↑ "Library Group Finalizes 'Great Graphic Novels' Nominations". Anime News Network. 13 December 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
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