Komori Quintet!
The last-minute rushes of Christmas are happening almost everywhere. The sudden bouts of claustrophobia hit like a swift iron rod. While I don't really have much to prepare for Christmas anyway, I still feel like buying something...for myself that is. Unfortunately, the crowds have decided to narrow in like nobody else's business, rendering shopping more difficult than finding a needle in the haystacks. Thankfully though, I've had some ideas of what I could get for myself. I think that I have a built-in radar of sorts. Never mind the holiday madness for now. I would like to share with readers a new manga series which I've stumbled upon...like yesterday.
Komori Quintet! is based on an original story by Sugii Hikaru, and drawn by Tiv. The front cover of the second tankoubon features an all-girl ensemble in a prominent music setting. Naturally, my radar picked up those signs. Why the second tankoubon, some may ask? Well, apparently it was released only about a month ago. I'm not sure how long our imports usually take to reach Books Kinokuniya, but I suppose that most would require a couple of weeks. Anyway, the cheery display on the cover had made my heart skip a little. I was reminded of K-ON! since both stories include high school girls playing musical instruments. Of course, the girls in Komori Quintet! have their striking differences. The most apparent ones being their choices of instruments and the music they play!
The quintet consists of Aihara Chika on Drums, Enoshima Noriko (Tenko) on Cello, Ishuuin Tamao on Violin, Uehara Sumire on Viola, and Okumura Koyori on Contrabass. I've got to admit though that I know nuts about the classical stuff, no matter how refreshingly cute (sorry I can't seem to process more refreshing adjectives here) the girls are. If anybody is wondering why there is a drummer in the quintet, well the story began with the original quartet debating whether there was a need to find a drummer in order to form a band. Apparently, Noriko (Tenko) had been really excited about their new direction. This is where the situation feels a little like K-ON! since there is a rock reference which adds a unique twist to the story. I used to watch a few performances which experimented with various combinations of musical instruments, and the overall sounds were generally quite pleasurable.
(Scanlations taken from Manga Fox)
Anyway, Noriko (Tenko) seemed to know quite a bit about Chika's mother (a member of the school's legendary band according to her), which pretty conveniently triggered a rather one-sided 'invitation' for Chika to join the rest of the girls. A baffled Chika simply tagged along (more like being dragged by Noriko?) thinking that she would at long last be able to jam with like-minded people. Imagine her greater confusion when the sight of three other girls holding a contrabass, violin and viola respectively greeted her in the recording studio.
Naturally, their first meeting didn't turn out favourably. Chika was troubled as there weren't really other options available for her concerning club activities. Her mother (the school's legendary band member) was extremely encouraging though, and it turned out that Chika couldn't shake the girls off her mind. Eventually, a random solo drumming at Studio C6 brought the entire group together for the second time. This time, the band was officially formed. From the Bremen Quartet now comes...Komori Quintet!
As mentioned earlier, the manga is currently in its second volume. I would love to see this get an anime adaptation. I've always enjoyed watching others play musical instruments, and a greenlight could bring the series up a notch by showcasing actual musical pieces. It would be so much fun!
Eccentrically Yours.
Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪
Eccentrically Yours.
Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪
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