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Title: Genkaku Picasso
Author: Usamaru  Furuya
Publisher: Viz Media (Shonen Jump)
Volume: Volume 1 (of 3), $9.99
Vintage: 2008 by Shueisha in Japan, November 2010 by Viz Media
Genre: Drama, art, psychological

What would you do if your only chance to keep living was to help others? That’s the position our main character, Hikari “Picasso” Hamura, finds himself in. When a helicopter crashes near the river where Hikari and his friend Chiaki are drawing and reading (respectively), they are both killed. But as she was dying, Chiaki prayed that Hikari would survive so that his talent could be viewed by the world. However, in exchange for returning him to life, Hikari must continually help others or risk literally rotting away. Chiaki has come back in the form of a pint-sized angel to help him. In order to help others, he has been given the ability to view the auras of those in need, which he transfers to drawings in his sketchbook. At the crisis turning point, Hikari’s consciousness and Chiaki go into the drawing and attempt to solve the problems in the individual’s mind and heart. If they succeed, the person grows and overcomes their inner struggle, and Hikari and Chiaki are returned to the regular world, minus rotting limbs.

Volume 1 introduces us to Hikari and Chiaki, as well as several of their classmates, two of whom quickly become the secondary characters of the story. Frequently interacting with Hikari after the high school boy saves them both from their troubles are Sugiura (who has been having trouble talking to his father) and Akane (a model traumatized by a childhood memory). Sugiura is a nice guy who is grateful for Hikari’s help, but while helping Akane, Hikari somehow transplanted the image of himself into her mind as a comfort and emotional support. To Suguira’s chagrin (as he has a crush on her), Akane becomes inexplicably attached to Hikari. Having made two new friends, after previously only being friends with the now deceased Chiaki, Hikari’s life gets more lively and the awkward, introverted boy is forced to interact with others. Unfortunately, Hikari is just annoyed that no one leaves him alone anymore, and Chiaki is constantly nagging him to help the next person, leaving him little time to himself to practice his drawing. But Chiaki is there to not only help keep him alive, but to introduce him to a world of experiences that he previously ignored. There’s a little humor here and there as Hikari’s horrible social skills create some awkward situations.

This one has an interesting concept, but is a little boring. I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense; perhaps it’s the execution. The story just doesn’t ring with me, but it was an interesting read. My only real complaint is the art. The sketches that Hikari draws are amazing, and with that kind of talent, I wonder why the entire rest of the book looks a little sloppy. It just doesn’t have the same quality. Not that it should be exactly the same; that kind of detail takes far too long to draw, and it would also defeat the feeling of Hikari and Chiaki being sucked into another world. Still, it’s like a completely different person draws each part. My other complaint is about Viz’s production of the book. It’s the font choice. It’s bland, and there’s a lot of empty, white space. Really it’s just a small, personal annoyance that most people probably wouldn’t be bothered by. While reading this one, I wondered how long it could really be dragged out, as each situation, while different fundamentally, starts and resolves much the same way. At three volumes, it should end up just right.

Kris
kristin@comicattack.net
girlg33k_Kris

Review copy provided by Viz Media.