Blank Slate, Vol. 1: Questions (1)

I'm quickly becoming a big fan of Aya Kanno's work. It started with Otomen but Blank Slate has a more unique style and an intriguing character.Blank Slate is of course the story of Zen, a beautiful and ruthless man who just happens to be the worst criminal in history. He's been stealing, killing, and terrorizing the country for ten years. Why? Because he wants to. Volume 1 is made up of three "episodes" that nicely introduce Zen's character. He's a heartless killer yet so charismatic. You can't help but enjoy reading about him. Also Zen's memory only goes back 10 years. Before that it's a blank. The book ends on a light cliffhanger when Zen finds someone who might be able to help him recover his memory.Overall I'm pretty darn impressed with this manga. Yes, it's printed under Shojo Beat but it's definitely not "girly". It's not super dark and hardcore either. It falls somewhere in the middle to me. The panels are well drawn and actually rather bright (they have a lot of white space). The brightness lightened the mood of the story a little for me but I'm fine with that. It goes well with Aya Kanno's artwork. The art in a book is always extra important to me. If the drawing is bad it's distracting but there were definitely no problems for me here. Zen is a very well drawn man. He's lithe and beautiful with empty eyes. Very fitting. Actually all of the characters are very well drawn. They're unique, easy to tell apart, nicely styled.The translation was also well done. I didn't notice any awkward dialogue or typos. So good job there too. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that it's only a two volume story. I never thought I would complain about having to buy fewer books to finish a series. But I'm going to do it right now. I would've liked more from Zen. But what I've got is still pretty darn good.

Not only are the story and the art absolutely amazing, but the book came in perfect condition too! I was really pleased with how quick I received the book and in what good condition it came in. Not even a crease on the edges!

This story is a little confusing at first but make it past that and the story is really good.

The amnesiac Zen, protagonist of Blank Slate, is like a force of nature...of the senselessly destructive, hurricane-blew-your-house-down-and-your-mama-away-too kind. He needs to be that way, though, because it's a rough world that he finds himself living in. The nation of Galay has been waging wars of aggression against its neighbors in the name of law, order, and civilization. Among the people subjugated are those of Amata, who face both squalor and discrimination under Galay rule. Some of them have become freedom fighters--or, if you prefer, terrorists.Some of these terrorists are plotting to kidnap the Galay General's daughter, Rian, and use her to extort concessions for the Amata people. Zen, spreading his amoral brand of chaos and killing, gets caught up in her disappearance. While hiding out at the General's summer house, Zen sees a strange graveyard that, he will later discover, is connected to his past and his unexplained memory loss. He also sustains some grievous wounds, and one of the terrorists tells him to seek out her brother-in-law, Dr. Hakka, for treatment. He does just that and subsequently decides to help the doctor with his illicit acts of rebellion against Galay. But Hakka is not at all who he seems to be, and little does Zen suspect that hanging out with him may mean the loss of the one thing he values most--his freedom.Superficially speaking, this two-volume shoujo manga series is an action-packed, hardboiled noir storyline, perfect for anyone in the market for cathartic, gratuitous violence and gun-toting pretty boys with ambiguous relationships to each other. However, it also makes some intriguing, albeit at times heavy-handed and awkward, gestures toward more profound themes. For example, the reference to (and implicit criticism of) the United States' wars in the Middle East is obvious. The people of Galay are Western and light-skinned, while the people of Amata are dark-skinned and vaguely Indian-looking. The manga was first published in Japan in 2004, and the war in Iraq would certainly have been foremost in readers' minds in its original serialized context.Also, it would not be too much of a spoiler to note that Zen's "real" name is Zero and that these name choices are no coincidence. Aya Kanno intends him to be a Zenlike figure who lives by instinct and in the now, with zero regrets or anxieties, unburdened by guilt. Though his acts may seem evil according to a Judeo-Christian moral system, by Kanno's way of thinking, he is no more evil than the lion that kills the gazelle. He is simply existing according to his own nature.Kanno has tremendous range when it comes to her artwork. The soft, sanitized style found in Soul Rescue barely resembles the self-conscious satire of Otomen. Blank Slate sports yet a third look--bleak, brooding, and beautiful. She really takes the opportunity to strut her stuff here. The subtlety and dynamism of her layouts are top notch. You will find it hard to believe that she made her professional debut as recently as 2001. Recommended. Kanno is one to watch.-- Casey Brienza