Title: White Clouds
Author & Artist: Hisae Iwaoka
Chapters: 1 (It’s a one-shot)
Summary:
A beautiful and touching story about life, death, and thereafter from the eyes of a rare perspective.
The Good
The Story:
It’s rare to have a story so short be quite saddening. For anyone who was ever close to their grandparents, they would find a relatable quality within the manga. But even so, you don’t have to have a relationship with your grandparents to understand the story. It’s understood in its simple storytelling, and yet heartbreaking at the same time.
The ending didn’t disappoint either. It left the story on a lighthearted note. So lovely.
Artwork:
No, it’s not top notch. Yes, it looks like a kid drew it. But there is something about the simple artwork that combines so well with it’s simple story. The best reason to this has to come from a more professional point of view. From Scott McCloud’s universally praised Understanding Comics :
By stripping down an image to its essential “meaning,” an artist can amplify that meaning in a way that realistic art can’t.
In other words, the “meaning” is universally understood as a ***Fill in the Blank*** (like a happy face 
). The “crappy” drawing of an old man and his dog is understood by the reader to be… an old man and his dog (just an example, no offense). And because the artwork isn’t praiseworthy, that leaves the story to be focused on to which it does a great job on. Yeah, it’s that kind of manga.
Perspective
The manga takes an interesting perspective. The main character is… on second thought I better not. Mainly because of the next point.
Short Read:
The reading is very short. There are only about 16 pages to read, yet somehow it is enough to tell a complete story.
The Bad
The damn thing made me cry… that’s all I have to say.
Overall
Dear God this was so sad to read, but very touching at the end. Even though the manga was short, 16 pages to be exact, White Clouds accomplished in telling a simple, yet great story. I give White Clouds a 5 out of 5.
Rating:
