IC in a Sunflower
IC in a Sunflower | |
集積回路のヒマワリ (Shūsekikairo no Himawari) | |
---|---|
Genre | Drama, Science fiction |
Manga | |
Written by | Mitsukazu Mihara |
Published by | Shodensha |
English publisher | |
Magazine | Feel Young |
Demographic | Josei |
Original run | 1994 – 1997 |
Volumes | 1 |
IC in a Sunflower (Japanese: 集積回路のヒマワリ, Hepburn: Shūsekikairo no Himawari) is a science fiction josei (targeted towards women) manga written and illustrated by Mitsukazu Mihara. It is a collection of seven, unrelated short stories which appeared in the Japanese manga magazine Feel Young from 1994 to 1997. The stories were then collected into a bound volume in Japan by Shodensha on October 18, 1997. Tokyopop licensed IC in a Sunflower for an English-language release in North America, and published it on January 2, 2007. IC in a Sunflower was positively received by English-language critics and readers. Reviewers identified various themes and literary elements in the collection, and generally enjoyed the short stories and art.
The seven short stories consist of Mihara's 1994 debut "Keep Those Condoms Away From Our Kids" (ゴムのいらない子供たち, "Gomu no Iranai Kodomo-tachi"), set in a future in which an
Plot
IC in a Sunflower consists of seven
"Keep Those Condoms Away From Our Kids" (ゴムのいらない子供たち, "Gomu no Iranai Kodomo-tachi") revolves around a future in which teenagers do not have a desire for sex, as a result of an AIDS vaccine. The story focuses on Irori, who is taught about sex in school and encouraged by his parents, but ultimately neither understands nor has a desire for sex.
"The Iron Maiden" (リッサの鉄の柩) focuses on a woman who struggles to create a happy life for herself despite the childhood sexual abuse done to her by her older brother. In her backstory, her parents refused to believe her as a child about her brother's abuse towards her, and upset, she bites her doll and develops a compulsive habit of biting. Later, as an adult, she settles down with a husband and child, but after discovering her battered doll which triggers memories of her unhappy childhood, she bites her child.
"The Sunflower Quality Of An Integrated Circuit" (集積回路のヒマワリ) centers on Vanilla, an
In "The Other Side Of The Rose Wire" (バラ鉄線のむこう側), a boy falls in love from afar with a girl taking care of her elderly father. After she fails to appear with her father one day, he finds her dressed in mourning clothes with a smile on her face and burning the basket she kept with her.
"Fish Out Of Water" (籠の魚) focuses on a captured mermaid and her refusal to speak. Her captor attempts to pull her out of the bathtub where she had been living, and she remembers that she was a girl whose mother had tried to drown her and herself in a lake years ago. Her mother died, but she survived and imagined herself as a mermaid. She then wakes up from her delusion, finding herself in a hospital instead of a bathtub, and can begin to recover.
"Mister Mineral" (鉱物君) revolves around a college student, who collects rocks and is tormented by his memories of dissecting a frog. After learning that his girlfriend is pregnant, he becomes upset and tosses her into a busy highway.
Set in a future where human cloning is practiced, "Alive" (あなたは生きている) focuses on Tou, a clone sent to live in an orphanage of humans as part of an assignment. There, he meets a cheerful girl named Riika and after some time, she is taken to be killed for her organs. It is then revealed that Tou only thought he was a clone.
Style and themes
In IC in a Sunflower[2] and all her works, Mihara uses character designs incorporating Lolita fashion—a clothing style influenced by the Rococo style and the Victorian and Edwardian eras.[4] She explained that that particular style conveys the duality of her characters: "It's about showing the delicate balance of 'delicate, yet strong,' or 'selfish and wild, yet lustful.'"[3] Mihara has been involved with the shaping of the Gothic Lolita style—a subset of the Lolita fashion which incorporates dark colors[4]—through her artwork; she illustrated the first eight covers of the fashion magazine-book Gothic & Lolita Bible and later returned to illustrating the covers with the twenty-seventh volume in fall 2007.[3]
Reviewers have identified multiple themes and literary elements in the manga. According to Mania Entertainment's Nadia Oxford, Mihara uses minimal dialogue and narrative, instead conveying emotion through the behavior of the characters.
Release
Written and illustrated by Mitsukazu Mihara, the seven short stories of IC in a Sunflower appeared in the Japanese
Reception and legacy
IC in a Sunflower was positively received by English-language reviewers and readers. The manga ranked eighth on
Appearing as a serial in Feel Young from 1998 to 2002,[14] Mihara's science-fiction josei manga Doll examines the relationships between the eponymous androids and their human owners in the future.[15] The narrative primarily consists of unrelated short stories, but also develops an overall plot involving Ichiro, a man who illegally remodels the androids, and his revenge against the corporation which creates them. The character Vanilla from "The Sunflower Quality Of An Integrated Circuit" appears in Doll as one of the nine prototypes.[14] Discovered by Ichiro and his Doll companion, she acts as if she suffers from psychological trauma,[nb 1] which she overcomes by recovering her memories of having to bury her master.[16]
Notes
References
- General
- OCLC 99798641.
- Specific
- ^ a b c d e f g h Oxford, Nadia (January 1, 2007). "IC in a Sunflower". Mania Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Thompson, Jason (December 4, 2009). "365 Days of Manga, Day 80: IC in a Sunflower". Suvudu. Archived from the original on April 29, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
- ^ OCLC 196672482.
- ^ OCLC 196672482.
- ^ a b c d e f g Sparrow, A.E. (January 5, 2007). "IC in a Sunflower Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Grendall, Dan (February 14, 2007). "AICN Comics Reviews Shazam! Impaler! Cthulhu Tales! And much more!!!". Ain't It Cool News. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ "Manga+Comics: Mitsukazu Mihara: IC in a Sunflower". Tokyopop. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
- ^ "S-book.net" 集積回路のヒマワリ [IC in a Sunflower] (in Japanese). Shodensha. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
- ^ "Mitsukazu Mihara Titles Confirmed at Tokyopop". Anime News Network. July 26, 2005. Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
- ISBN 978-1598167696.
- ^ "News: Tokyopop to Close North American Publishing Division (Update 3)". Anime News Network. April 15, 2011. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- About.com. Archived from the originalon July 17, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ Douresseaux, Leroy (January 21, 2007). "IC in a Sunflower". Comic Book Bin. Archived from the original on September 14, 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ OCLC 62864384.
- OCLC 85833345.
- ^ OCLC 62864384.
External links
- IC in a Sunflower at Internet Archive
- IC in a Sunflower (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia