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Title:  Walkin’ Butterfly Vol 1

Author: Chihiro Tamaki

Publisher:  Aurora

ISBN:  9781934496008

May Contain Spoilers

Michiko has always been uncomfortable with her body.  Tall and slender, she considers herself a monster built by a mad scientist.  Unhappy with both her appearance and her life, she drifts from one dead end job to the next, cursing her freakish height and the detrimental effect it has had on her life.  Then one day, when she’s delivering food, she’s mistaken for a model. In the confusion backstage at the fashion show, she finds it easier to follow directions than try to explain the error.  She learns that being a model takes more than the ability to walk out on the catwalk; it also means accepting herself. 

I have been really looking forward to checking out new publisher, Aurora. While I enjoyed the setup for this series, I was disappointed with the length of the book.  At 134 pages of story, it seemed that it was just starting to go somewhere when it came to end.  The book itself is attractively presented, with a glowering Michiko on the cover, though the card stock and binding are so stiff I was afraid that I would crease something.  I hate creases.  I also didn’t care for the blocky text used in the book. 

Michiko is a character who, at first, is hard to sympathize with.  She’s an Amazon, and she’s had to endure teasing, taunting, and comments from ignorant people her entire life.  Disliking her shell, she has become tough and bitter on the inside, and at times, she just wishes she could disappear.  She’s desperately in love with her childhood friend, Nishikino, but she doesn’t have the confidence to confess her feelings to him.

While delivering food for her new job, she gets lost, and ends up backstage at a fashion show.  Because of her imposing height, she’s immediately mistaken for an errant model.  Hustled in to a dress and quickly given to the ministrations of the make-up artist, she’s amazed by her transformation when she looks in the mirror.  Koh Mihara, the designer, isn’t fooled by her, though, and sees right through her.  Accusing her of being unable to see her true self, he tells her that she’ll never make it as a model.  To prove him wrong, she dashes on-stage, only to make a fool of herself when stage fright grabs hold of her and leaves her rooted in place.

Escaping from the show, she realizes that her life has no direction.  Determined to prove Mihara wrong, she begins to pursue a modeling career to show him up.  Will she be able to overcome her inner demons and allow her true self to shine?  I enjoyed Michiko’s gradual realization that it wasn’t her physical form that was holding her back from her dreams, it was her attitude towards herself that needed to change.  Instead of dwelling on what she can’t change, she needed to focus on what she can. 

Ryo Tago, the surly president of the modeling agency Michiko approaches to represent her, is an interesting secondary character.  Clearly seeing that Michiko’s motivation is not a love of modeling, or even of herself, she chastises Michiko harshly, and tells her to go home.  Someone as disgusted with their own body, like she is, can’t possibly be a successful model.  Considering Ryo’s disreputable surrounding and less than welcoming demeanor, I hope her background is fleshed out in a future volume of the series.

The art is serviceable, though hardly pretty.  Rough and clunky, it has an unfinished feeling to it.  However, it does get the job done, and facial expressions are very easy to read.  Chihiro Tamaki’s art style just seems a little unpolished and isn’t my cup of tea. 

Also included is a short bonus comic about Michiko’s childhood, and an interview with creator Chihiro Tamaki.

Grade:  B-

Rated for  16+

Review copy provided by Aurora Publishing