Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin

As a fan of violent and tragic stories, I expected maybe a bit too much from this manga. On paper, Rainbow seemed to be on par with the type of manga I read and liked (like Shamo, Sidooh), but it turned out to be less believable.

The manga focuses first on the lives of youngsters in a juvenile prison, and later on how they cope with the hardships of the outside world. What confused me first was the way that the manga "switched" the main character, but as it went on, I got used to it. I think the manga is supposed to be read from all the main characters' perspectives than just one's. This approach gives you plenty of time to get to know the characters individually, which I liked.

I assume the manga is based on a true story, since the commentaries make it appear so. However, the story, or rather the characters don't make it believable. The difference between the good and evil is just way too black and white. At first it was interesting to read about the cruel ward Ishihara, but later on his wrath became unrealistic. It might have been somewhat believable, had not the other villains used the same pattern. Thus, every time the manga introduced a new villain, you'd know he/she was a copy of Ishihara or Sasaki. Even the way they were drawn left you no doubt of it. I did like the development for a while, but when the villains' obsession over hurting the main characters went overboard, I lost my interest.

The good characters were supposed to be criminals, which should have made them "grey", but they were way too "white". Their crimes were just something they did for living, and the manga didn't really make use of the contrast of the characters' way of life and their righteousness. I think it would have brought more depth to the story if there had been moral dilemmas for the characters regarding their deeds. Now they made me think of "bad guys try to live like good guys, except that they were already good guys". If the intention was to make "good guys who get all the shit all the time", it turned out too shallow. Despite the hardships, the characters would not change that much, and by change I mean mentally. If you get abused, it should have an effect on you, no matter how cheerful and strong willed you are.

The camaraderie between the characters is the strong point of this manga. I actually liked to read the more relaxed phases the characters had, and how they would take care of some minor problems they encountered. The way they felt bad about hiding stuff from each other, and helping each other get over it was great. Also the differences between the characters was a good thing, from outside to the inside.

If the manga had had a more realistic approach to the difference between the good and the bad, and how the hardships affected the characters, it might have worked for me.

The absence of color pages is not striking, since the tone of the story does not claim them either. It would be different if it were a fantastic cut story where the reader, although accustomed to black and white, always appreciates a colorful note.

Regarding the graphic section, Masasumi Kakizaki's work is, in general, good. But not bright at all. There are vignettes where the bodies are disproportionate or poorly designed, for example, by placing the eyes on an impossible axis. Instead, there are very good and impressive illustrations.the adjective that best suits this situation is inconstant.But hey, this is a story where the script is much more relevant than the graphic section. A very interesting and renowned way.

In my opinion, Rainbow is not really a feel-good type of manga, so if you're looking for a good hero story to lift your spirits Rainbow isn't the story for you.
But if that's not what you're looking for I would say that Rainbow does have some of the best story arcs I have read in a long time. It's drama, mixed in with redemption, and A LOT of tragedy. It has it's really depressing moments, but the promise of a good story providing a consistent stream of adrenaline-pumping moments keeps the reader reading.

Artistically its also a beautiful manga. I can't get over the awesome covers and consistency of the artwork through the whole series.

My only complaint is that the grungy tone doesn't change too much (hence my score of 8/10). As with most stories where there isn't much complexity in tone, it can get a bit boring.

Although the title maybe misleading, okay wait, it is misleading but guys, read the summary. I picked this Manga up, thinking it was worth a try and it really was worth a try.

We meet 6 inmates going to a reform facility (juvenile hall) in 1955, some innocent (in my eyes) others not so, however the horrors that lies ahead of them would make you shiver and shake.
Taking his time to flesh out his characters, the writer did a most outstanding job, he didn't rush and in doing so, you'll find complex personalities, realistic pasts and you'll see the characters as people. Not just characters your reading about but actual people that you can relate to and connect with, walking a mile in their shoes is as easy as blinking your eyes.

The art was realistic, right down to the eyes. Proportionate without a doubt with detail deserving applause since stories with this much detail are few and far between. Almost like a painting, the art is noteworthy.

Two thumbs up, definitely not for the fainthearted; not anyone can stomach this beauty but it left a huge impression on me and I think if you have a chance to read it, do so and when your done you'll see what I mean.

Review written in French, then translated by a deep learning software (because I'm lazy to do it myself and with mid-term exams I don't have the time, although I can do it).

English part :

Rainbow, the work of Georges Abe illustrated by Kakizaki is certainly well known from this site, in a way, it seems to me, very positive. And if, undeniably, it is a success, the manga is nevertheless very imperfect, by its tone a little too manichean and some other aspects.
The story we are told is fascinating, the beginning in the juvenile prison reminds Shamo/Coq de Combat in some aspects, the tone is however very different, the two stories having little else in common. It happens to be really touching at times, but sometimes there is a tendency for the author to overpathosize the pathos, which tends to undermine the narrative. On the other hand, credibility flies out the window a few times, which can come out of the story (I've done that a few times).

A profoundly political work, which swears with the rest of the production, for better or for worse, because if as a narrative, it's rather pleasant, for the underlying message, the constant is quite different. In the end, all of this seems to be bathed in a naive, even vulgar idea of the inmates of juvenile prisons. But as said, the story is pleasant to follow, and if you want a more interesting work for its depiction of the juvenile prison environment, I recommend Shamo/Coq de combat (well, only the first 13 volumes, after that it's no use, it's crap ... but the beginning is really excellent). To come back to the story of Rainbow, it follows itself well, the characters who compose it are all endearing, and those adding to the group throughout the story are just as endearing. The events behind the story's progress are almost "to much", in the sense that one wonders if one day the group of heroes will be able to live in peace. But at the same time, knowing the manga industry, one understands why these choices are made, especially since, once again, it's fun to follow the story all the way through (you even really want to know what happens next at times). The style of Kakizaki, although it is not necessarily one of those I particularly like, is very successful and creates an atmosphere that fits the story. The confrontation scenes are intense, never a board seems strange or even failed (at least I didn't have that impression).

The fact remains that it is a successful political and social pamphlet, certainly too politicized in certain aspects, all refined by the stroke of Kakizaki.
A masterpiece, certainly not, but a good manga, pleasant to follow from beginning to end.

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French part :

Rainbow, l’œuvre de Georges Abe illustrée par Kakizaki est de manière certaine bien connu de ce site, d’une manière, il me semble, très positive. Et si, indéniablement, c’est une réussite, le manga n’en est pas moins très imparfait, par son ton un peu trop manichéen et quelques autres aspects.
L’histoire qui nous est contée est prenante, le début dans la prison pour mineurs rappelle Shamo/Coq de Combat par certains aspects, le ton est cependant bien différent, les deux histoires n’ayant pas grand-chose d’autre en commun. Ça arrive à être vraiment touchant par instants, mais on retrouve parfois une tendance de l’auteur à trop verser dans le pathos, ce qui a tendance à desservir le récit. Par ailleurs, la crédibilité s’envole à quelques reprises, ce qui peut sortir de l’histoire (ça a été mon cas à quelques reprises).

Une œuvre profondément politique, qui jure avec le reste de la production, pour le meilleur comme pour le pire, car si en tant que récit, c’est plutôt plaisant, pour le message de fond, le constant est bien différent. Tout ceci semble finalement baigner dans une idée naïve, voire vulgaire, des détenus de prisons pour mineurs. Mais comme dit, l’histoire est plaisante à suivre, et si vous souhaitez une œuvre plus intéressante pour sa représentation du milieu carcéral pour mineur, je vous recommande plutôt Shamo/Coq de combat (enfin uniquement les 13 premiers tomes, après ce n’est pas la peine, c’est de la merde … mais le début est vraiment excellent). Pour revenir à l’histoire de Rainbow, elle se suit bien, les personnages qui la composent sont tous attachants, et ceux s’ajoutant au groupe au fil de l’histoire le sont tout autant. Les évènements à l’origine de l’avancement du récit font presque « to much », dans le sens où l’on se demande si un jour, le groupe de héros arrivera à vivre tranquille. Mais en même temps, connaissant l’industrie du manga, on comprend pourquoi ces choix, surtout qu’encore une fois, ça reste plaisant à suivre tout du long (on a même vraiment envie de connaitre la suite par moments). Le style de Kakizaki, bien qu’il ne fasse pas forcément parti de ceux que j’affectionne particulièrement, est très réussi et permet de créer une ambiance qui colle au récit. Les scènes d’affrontement sont intenses, jamais une planche ne semble étrange ou bien même ratée (enfin je n’ai pas eu cette impression).

Reste que c’est un pamphlet politique et social réussi, certainement trop politisé par certains aspects, le tout affiné par le trait de Kakizaki.
Un chef d’œuvre, certainement pas, mais un bon manga, plaisant à suivre de bout en bout.