Dramacon Volume 3
by Pedro Rodriguez
After two years, Dramacon has gone through a few changes in its direction and cast. The first volume was a romance that took place in a bigger than a bread box anime convention, while the second volume focused more on the antics that occurred in the con with the romance factor tapered off a bit. While I admit that some of the changes have made me feel lost at first, Dramacon has always delivered the goods and I've always felt entertained. So here we are a little more than a year since the last book was published, it is now to see how everyone's favorite Ruskie turned Canuck, Svetlana Chmakova, will be wrapping things up.
The first thing that ran through my mind as I Christie's newest method of commuting was "Why is Christie on a bus?", followed by "Where is Beth?". To my surprise, the third volume starts off with Christie making her way to the con, along with her neighbors from last year's artist alley. It seems in the short time since they met , both groups have become unexpectedly close, and this year they have planned to share a table together. We are given a brief recap of what happened between Matt and his then girlfriend Emily. Christie also touches on her relationship between her and Matt, but it just seems like there's a lot more to her story than just a blog entry and an exchange of phone numbers. Beth is already at the con, and is making the most of her time by sketching. It also looks like her artwork has become sleeper, via winning the T-shirt design contest. Despite all the hullabaloo everyone seems to be having a good time, until Beth gets an unexpected call from her mother.
Oh yeah, the racoon is back, and it's brought friends...
The convention itself isn't as much of a bother as the story quietly changes focus on a new set of obstacles. With Matt back on the market, and his eyes wavering in Christie's direction, our main star tries to grab a hold of prince charming while she can. Initially the biggest two obstacles include her nosy friends who just can't help following her, and in the process serve a decent helping of comic relief. Matt's ex-girlfriend also does her share of butting in, and while she doesn't show any attempt to get him back, she does tend to express how different the two of them are. In the end, their biggest obstacle is the fact that with their different ideals in the way, making their relationship work won't be a walk in the park. The convention has also gone easy on Beth (who took the majority of the blow in the last volume) as she deals with her mother. One of my favorite parts of volume 2 was seeing Beth and manga-ka Lida Zeff dealing with trolls, and I was hoping to see a little bit more of the same, but like lightning the story doesn't hit the same exact spot twice. In fact the climax of that story arc takes place outside of the convention grounds (but I won't say just how far). Chmakova also surprised us by introducing Beth's aunt and her children into the mix, and as you would expect tries to help bridge the gap between the two by challenging her sister's opinion on her niece's future. The story also tries to plug in a little romance for Beth, and while it's well structured it generally stays in the shallow end of the pool about waist up. Overall the plot for both girls is successful in getting from point A to point B, but it can be a bit cut and dry, especially at the climax. Still with a modest helping of humor to keep things moving, it's far from being a loss.
Chmakova has an interesting way of managing her characters. You spend each volume following the main characters with the supporting cast in tow, while the minor characters step in from time to time to help make a smooth transition in the plot, much like the well tuned machine that it is. As the volume progresses, you get to know the supporting cast as they start to grow on you. Then when the next volume comes around, the supporting cast makes limited appearance, while the minor characters and new cast members take the most stage time. The biggest example of this can be seen with Lida Zeff who made a brief appearance in the first book, showed us a grand old time in the second book, and made a no line cameo in the third. Now I'm not saying that this is bad, however the technique does come with some risks. The main problem is if you've enjoyed a specific character, and you want (or expect) to see more of the same, you might feel a little lost when their appearance and influence is cut short. Fortunately for us, Chmakova has the chops to flesh out the supporting cast so that they are able to perform just as well as their predecessors (again a primary example is Lida). Because of that skill, the story is saved from being a dishearten for most of her audience, plus we get to venture down more "rabbit holes" than other stories would.
Finally there's the art work. Having little skill to analyze artwork of her caliber (as if I my writing credentials are any better), there isn't much I can say. Nevertheless I have always found her quality of drawings to be consistent and her dedication to excel in the craft is inspirational. If I had to criticize her work, I would have to say that I have never been able to get around how some people with pointed chins look while frowning or a straight face in genreral. Fortunately this is kept to a minimum and chances are you might stick out. I was also impressed by how well the toning came out. It makes me want to Go to my bookshelf, Read the desert section, then take a trip to my local confection store, (next to the one with the Oni displayed at the front where i think they sell old Kimono outfits) then At my kitchen boil some water with pyrex measuring cup in the middle (let's see the pots are next to the cooling Wire) and Pop the chocolate in so i can mold it and send it to the toner.Com
Although I preferred how the second volume's approached things, the third is not without its charm. The art is at its best, the characters were well rounded and while I was holding out for something in the story with a bit more kick to it, Chmakova did a nice job wrapping things up and tying up the loose ends.
So there you have it folks, the first manga to feature an American anime convention.
Gallery Comming soon!