I tend to like the strange, fuzzy, postmodern fantasy genre of fiction about literature. The two best examples of Western comics that come to me are The Unwritten by Mike Carey and The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. Both create something new and referential by experimenting with the fantasy storytelling conventions and structures. While Whoever Steals This Book is already an engaging and appealing adaptation of its (as of yet untranslated, Japanese language) source work, it may not strive for the same literary heights or narrative intricacy as its occidental cousins.
Since this is the first of three volumes, the first two chapters mostly focus on setting the scene, outlining the main characters, and outlining the core conflict. It does take a bit to get going, and I found it difficult to focus on what is really an extensive history lesson on Mifuyu’s family and the town. All of this information is crucial, though, because the world alters strangely to reflect the plot of the books after the curse of the first stolen book is lifted.
This volume covers the first arc, which consists of three chapters, and the first chapter of the second. Whoever Steals This Book is divided into numerous discrete story arcs. It appears that each arc will concentrate on a different book type. The first story-within-a-story is an oddball “magical realism” fiction about two brothers who can alter the weather, a cat whose eye turns into the moon, and a famine brought on by rain turning into pearls instead of water. Every one of these bizarre ideas overwrites itself into the actual world, changing Yomunaga and the people who live there—who are made to act like characters. To make things normal again, Mifuyu and Mashiro will need to apply their problem-solving abilities and make use of hints found in the pertinent book.
The “story within a story” portions’ glimpse of many styles stands out, but the graphic style for scenes situated in the actual world is just fine, conventional manga fare with cute big-eyed schoolgirls and very practical surroundings. The visually striking “The Brothers of the Lush Village” from the first arc changes to something that wouldn’t seem out of place on the side of a Greek amphora, featuring more overt symbolism, purposefully simplified characters, and vintage-style attire.
The dialogue and noirish tone of Arc Two’s “Black Book” are reminiscent of a hard-boiled detective thriller from Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe novels. The manga is kept engaging by its unpredictably mixed genres and creative style, even though at times it moves at a somewhat slow pace.
Mifuyu is a typical Japanese every-girl character; she is responsible, follows instructions pretty much to the letter, looks out for her family, and becomes understandably frustrated with her snarky, bookish aunt. Her aunt is a bookworm who only reads, eats, and sleeps in her library. Never before have I felt so ruthlessly criticized. That seems like the perfect life to me. The densely packed Mikura Hall and the village of Yomunaga seem like the epitome of heaven. Whenever I get home from a shopping trip, Mifuyu’s contempt for books reminds me of the identical expression on her face and the caustic tone in her voice. “What? Have you brought home any more books? Daaaaad. Thus, I believe book lovers and those distracted by book-hoarding relatives would find this comic appealing.
For now, I think I’ll keep reading because of the mystery surrounding the mysterious Mashiro. Is there any connection between her and the fox deity that Mifuyu’s grandmother enlisted to curse her prized books? Whoever Steals This Book only has three volumes, so I expect the answers will be available shortly.
