KUUDEN NOISE NO HIMEGIMI

This is a really promising beginning of a rock band story. It shows the reality of how tough it is to break into the entertainment world. Be it Japan or anywhere in the world, being an artist is an extremely unforgiving career choice. This manga feels like a documentary of the arduous initial steps of a rock band. That is both good and bad. It is good because it is keeps the story authentic and gives time for us to see the story develop in a realistic way. It is bad because there are no high points, no cliffhangers to keep the reader on the edge. Storytelling devices are sacrificed in order to keep things grounded. Most likely this manga will never have a wide appeal, but it can definitely enchant its target audience: anyone who loves rock.

The main strength of this manga is the genuine "rock" feeling you get from its story and characters. The characters are all very lifelike. They feel extremely real. In the sense that these are the type of people who you might actually see playing in rock bands. They all have their unique personalities and are continuously being fleshed out.

My main criticism of this manga is something that is extremely hard for any graphic novel: the depiction of music. Animated adaptations of titles like Nana, Beck, and Detroit Metal City are usually praised for having the essential musical element that manga cannot provide. It is a bit frustrating to just see the still images of Mao playing the guitar, Hasekura singing, or Altago playing and just have a few musical notes flying in the air to indicate that the music is there. These are moments that should have a great impact but due to the restrictions of the medium being used, just lack the weight they deserve.

Since the end of Gekkan Bazu magazine, where it was published, Kuuden Noise no Himegimi moved to another magazine called Evening where it is currently published. That is why this stops at chapter 21 and continues as Kuuden no Himegimi.