Aug 11, 2013
Franken Fran is an offbeat manga that could be classified as several things. Guro-eroge springs to mind, but that doesn't cover it in fullness. Generally speaking the chapters are relatively disconnected and don't tie in to one another yet still manage to make a cohesive manga. The story is very basic in some ways (i.e., "Fran helps people") yet there are some more complex underlying bits of story if you start "connecting the dots" so to speak. However, the story as a whole is probably the weakest point for this manga. Major plot points are brought up only to be dropped and never discussed again,
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and the story ends quite abruptly in the last chapter. I'm assuming this is due to time or budget constraints, however.
The art in this manga is overall very good, especially the detailing on the more surreal panels. However, I find myself conflicted over the cover art for each volume. As someone on a forum discussion once pointed out, the cover art for each volume is to some extent "trolling". This is because the art is often ecchi and/or very camp, making it look like a parody at times. It isn't bad by any means, but it's very misleading regarding the actual content.
The characters in Franken Fran are rather good on the surface, but the more you read it seems like the shallower characters become. Each fit a "trope" and never leave said trope within the main cast, perhaps with the exception of Veronica. There is not much character development among the main cast, but many of the introduced characters that only stick around for a chapter or so are quite deep and develop a lot over the course of 30 or so pages. This being said, the main cast is still quite interesting! Since the Madaraki girls were each created with a specific purpose in mind, it stands to reason that they wouldn't stray far from their purpose. Each is a determined and unique individual in their own right. Their interactions with other characters, especially with "normal" people, is always captivating and at times charming and humorous. And sometimes terrifying, that too. Despite lacking in development over the course of the manga, the characters are still very enjoyable.
Overall, this manga has a lot of different and sometimes completely unrelated elements, yet they tie into a lovely bit of work. Each chapter is unique and enjoyable in different ways, ranging from horror to comedy to tragedy and even a superhero arc. There's a lot of pseudo-scientific points brought up that may not be centered in reality but are fun to entertain regardless. If you can keep up a suspension of disbelief, this manga is very entertaining; as well as being one of the most surreal manga I have read. Would recommend to anyone looking for a horror or science related manga that isn't too serious.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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