A lot of otakus point out that manga that wasn't created in Japan isn't manga. Most of the time, I'm one of those otakus; however, if there is a non-Japanese "manga" that I find good enough, I'll consider it an exception. Ultimately, Dramacon is that exception.... at least, that's what I thought when I read it the first time. However, after a second read, do I still feel that way?
(Keep in mind that I'm reviewing all three volumes pretty much separately. Thus, there may be a few spoilers.)
The first volume of Dramacon follows the very first anime convention for an 11th grade girl named Christie. She is attending this convention, Yatta Anime Convention, with her boyfriend, Derek, to promote a manga they created together, Wary City. While waiting at the booth for potential customers, Christie sees Derek flirting with a cosplayer in a bunny-girl outfit right in front of her. Upset, Christie runs off, and she ends up being comforted by a cosplayer named Matt. Although she already has a boyfriend, Christie finds herself falling in love with Matt. (Commence the explosion of a drama bomb.)
The first volume of Dramacon gives readers an excellent introduction to this kind of world. The story was also very well-told, with plenty of funny moments or moments that are at least worth a giggle. The dramatic scenes are very well-done, and the characters get a decent amount of development. Well, one thing about Matt never gets fully explained, but to avoid major spoilers, I won't say what it is. (The sunglasses he wears is a hint, though.) At least the characters introduced in this volume are likable.... well, except Derek. He's a real prick.
Now, for the second volume. One year after volume one of Dramacon, Christie's back at Yatta Anime Convention for Round 2! This time, her manga's got a new artist, Bethany. Beth is a better artist than Derek could ever be, but her mother doesn't approve of anime, manga, etc. (In fact, she doesn't even know that she's at this con!) However, Beth ends up being offered a job at a manga-publishing company, Mangapop (which I'm guessing is a parody of Tokyopop, the company that published Dramacon). Meanwhile, Christie runs into Matt again.... only to discover that he now has a girlfriend named Emily!
Personally, although the story is still strong, I feel that it's more lackluster than in the first volume. The first volume pretty much just focuses on the main story, but the second volume doesn't just focus on one thing. Some of the characters from volume 1 don't return (including Derek, thank God), but some new characters are introduced. They're at least a little bit interesting, and in my honest opinion, Matt and Emily have a bit of a good bond going on. Obviously, it's not as strong of a bond as the bond between Matt and Christie, but.... you get what I mean, right?
Finally, we've got volume 3, which is basically another year, another weekend spent at Yatta Anime Convention. Of course, Christie is attending this convention once again, and once again, she runs into Matt. Although Matt's broken up with Emily, there's still a bit of drama going on between him and Christie. (For example, Matt wore a T-shirt that Christie thought was too sensitive to everyone else, and Christie got mad about it.) Meanwhile, Beth's mother is in town.... and by that, of course, I mean the town where the convention is taking place. You can only guess where something like this is going....
Although there are certain parts of the story I don't understand (like the T-shirt part), the story is well-told, with as good of a mixture between comedy and drama as ever. Although this volume focuses more on Beth and her family situation than on Christie and Matt's relationship, I don't mind too much. It provides good character development for her, and the other characters also managed to get a little bit of character development. I also liked the relationship between Beth and Raj, as expressed in this volume.
What stays the same in all three of the volumes of this "manga" is the art style, as drawn by Svetlana Chmakova. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of this anime art style. I mean, there are a lot of different anime art styles, and this one just didn't stand out to me. I'd say it's at least decent, but this is just my opinion. The chibis, though, are adorable without a doubt, so points for that!
Overall, Dramacon successfully made me have the same kind of fun I had when I read it the first time. I'd recommend it to anyone who wishes to see what could happen at an anime convention but can't afford to actually go to one (like me, considering I've never been to one myself). Just try not to backlash it just because it's not a Japanese manga. Got it?
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