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dawnoftheread's review
3.0
I feel like I read this before? A bit confusing, with lots of WTF moments.
battleofevermore's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bhavani's review
2.0
Rating 2.5
I didn't really get this story. It was confusing and had a lot of subplots which were not explained.
However, two conversations in the book caught my attention. The first is Addidas conversation with the Creator (i.e. red worm-like monster). This is how it goes:
Addidas: It's one thing to wield a weapon. It's quite another to fabricate one. You have to attempt to copy the original model. To build it exactly. Understand the mechanics and reproduce them... Not easy, is it?... It can sometimes happen that the final product doesn't mirror the original, that it is defective... or...better than the original! You built the machines, didn't you?... You created us?... You wanted to make us in your image, but you failed. The outcome has far exceeded the model and some, like me, broke away from you!
Creator: The outcome exceeded the projected model...to the point miss, that you cannot even imagine!
For me, this was profound in a rather philosophical way. It made me think about the role of a Creator in the life of its creations. What if we are unintended consequences of an experimental process of creating a mirror image?
The second goes as follows:
Official: We wanted to, but we didn't know how to...yes, we wanted to control all this! Imagine what could happen if it fell into the wrong hands!
Commissioner: It didn't need to fall into anyone's hands!!
How many times has someone caused more trouble because they wanted to control something that they neither understood nor can control?
Finally, why did the story end with the last panel looking exactly like the subterranean space where the machines used to be? Was that how the first world was built after all? Are they stuck in a loop of some sort? Is Addidas no different from the first Creator?
This book leaves a lot more questions than it answers.
I didn't really get this story. It was confusing and had a lot of subplots which were not explained.
However, two conversations in the book caught my attention. The first is Addidas conversation with the Creator (i.e. red worm-like monster). This is how it goes:
Addidas: It's one thing to wield a weapon. It's quite another to fabricate one. You have to attempt to copy the original model. To build it exactly. Understand the mechanics and reproduce them... Not easy, is it?... It can sometimes happen that the final product doesn't mirror the original, that it is defective... or...better than the original! You built the machines, didn't you?... You created us?... You wanted to make us in your image, but you failed. The outcome has far exceeded the model and some, like me, broke away from you!
Creator: The outcome exceeded the projected model...to the point miss, that you cannot even imagine!
For me, this was profound in a rather philosophical way. It made me think about the role of a Creator in the life of its creations. What if we are unintended consequences of an experimental process of creating a mirror image?
The second goes as follows:
Official: We wanted to, but we didn't know how to...yes, we wanted to control all this! Imagine what could happen if it fell into the wrong hands!
Commissioner: It didn't need to fall into anyone's hands!!
How many times has someone caused more trouble because they wanted to control something that they neither understood nor can control?
Finally, why did the story end with the last panel looking exactly like the subterranean space where the machines used to be? Was that how the first world was built after all? Are they stuck in a loop of some sort? Is Addidas no different from the first Creator?
This book leaves a lot more questions than it answers.
wnip19's review
5.0
My actual review is 4.5
So! Before you read anything I have to say, please know that this is the first graphic novel I have ever read. My opinions may be biased or one-sided - for reasons such as the fact I have not yet read any other novels in this genre or that it reminded me of a favourite childhood book.
After this book, I have one other graphic novel to dive in to, so hopefully, from there, my addition to this genre will grow! I have to admit that I did quite enjoyed it. It took awhile to get used to, but after some time, it unfolds naturally like a movie playing in your head.
I stayed up late at night to finish the entire thing. It's that good.
I finished Koma at about... 1am? Later? I'm not sure. After reading it, I immediately lay down to sleep. Both the plot and characters of the story were concrete and dimensional, they were very good! That, plus the ending and illustrations really made it into a masterpiece. The ending, while it took me by suprise, made sense and was the right choice for Adiddas, the little girl of the story.
The illustrations and designs were very well-thought and very beautiful. The change and transitions between scenes made the story more captiving and made more sense. I'm not sure if it would still have the same effect if it was made into a written book instead.
Throughtout the book, I just thought that there would be only two options in the ending for these kinds of story - protagonist wins, stays with her entire family, bad guy dies VS protagonist loses, BUT realizes a lesson at the same time, bad guy wins, chaos. Occasionally, of course, there is that bad guys gets away, protagonist is dissapointed with herself, but is still with her family and friends.
The ending to Koma was none of these.
Sometimes it felt like it was going to one of these paths, but it didn't. It had a clear path and ending right from the beginning that _should_ seem obvious, but none of us caught it.
I could feel that the ending was written and illustrated to make me cry. Cry for the 'monster', or maybe cry of happiness for the Emes. But I didn't.
While it is, indeed, a really great novel, it didn't grasp me enough to make me cry at the end. But don't let that stray you away from reading it. I've said it once and I'll say it again - it's a masterpiece.
So! Before you read anything I have to say, please know that this is the first graphic novel I have ever read. My opinions may be biased or one-sided - for reasons such as the fact I have not yet read any other novels in this genre or that it reminded me of a favourite childhood book.
After this book, I have one other graphic novel to dive in to, so hopefully, from there, my addition to this genre will grow! I have to admit that I did quite enjoyed it. It took awhile to get used to, but after some time, it unfolds naturally like a movie playing in your head.
I stayed up late at night to finish the entire thing. It's that good.
I finished Koma at about... 1am? Later? I'm not sure. After reading it, I immediately lay down to sleep. Both the plot and characters of the story were concrete and dimensional, they were very good! That, plus the ending and illustrations really made it into a masterpiece. The ending, while it took me by suprise, made sense and was the right choice for Adiddas, the little girl of the story.
The illustrations and designs were very well-thought and very beautiful. The change and transitions between scenes made the story more captiving and made more sense. I'm not sure if it would still have the same effect if it was made into a written book instead.
Throughtout the book, I just thought that there would be only two options in the ending for these kinds of story - protagonist wins, stays with her entire family, bad guy dies VS protagonist loses, BUT realizes a lesson at the same time, bad guy wins, chaos. Occasionally, of course, there is that bad guys gets away, protagonist is dissapointed with herself, but is still with her family and friends.
The ending to Koma was none of these.
Sometimes it felt like it was going to one of these paths, but it didn't. It had a clear path and ending right from the beginning that _should_ seem obvious, but none of us caught it.
I could feel that the ending was written and illustrated to make me cry. Cry for the 'monster', or maybe cry of happiness for the Emes. But I didn't.
While it is, indeed, a really great novel, it didn't grasp me enough to make me cry at the end. But don't let that stray you away from reading it. I've said it once and I'll say it again - it's a masterpiece.
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