I know you’re not supposed to, but if we were to judge the first volume of YAN by its cover, then it must be nothing short of excellent. Honestly, I don’t usually see covers that I like this much within the realms of manga. The contrast of the beautiful and ornately decorated Peking opera singer against the stark, Barbie-pink background which compliments her look just right, alongside stylish calligraphy by Hiroshi Hirata (who also worked on the legendary original Akira poster).
The cover is a gorgeous marriage of excellent illustration and excellent graphic design. It could, and should, be a poster or a print. And it’s because I love the way this magnificent cover looks so much that it breaks my heart to say that the age-old adage remains true: alas, you really can’t judge a book by its cover. Because underneath this striking cover is a disappointing and dull manga.
YAN follows Yan Tieh Hua, a teenage member of an opera troupe. One day, she comes home to see that her entire family has been murdered. She’s blamed for the crime and gets sent to prison, where it’s believed she eventually died. 30 years after the murder, however, someone claiming to be Yan Tieh Hua is trying to learn the truth of what happened that day, by any means necessary.
A basic plot synopsis makes this series look deceptively like a mystery series first and foremost. By the end, the manga poses itself as being more of an action series. The mystery is present, yes, but it takes a backseat to the action. The art throughout the volume is wonderful, so the action scenes are decent enough from a visual perspective. But from a story perspective, there’s a lingering sense in this volume that it’s not interested in its own mystery. This is especially true toward the end, where Yan Tieh Hua’s motivation is less clear. Instead, this manga is much more concerned with the admittedly awesome visual of a Peking opera actress fighting and doing rad stunts. The story almost starts to feel like an afterthought.
Making matters worse is the overly rigid dialogue. More specifically, the translation is really stiff, making the dialogue sound unnatural at times. By extension, it feels like another barrier from making the mystery actually feel like it matters in a meaningful way. Maybe more of it will be explained later, but this volume didn’t leave me feeling invested enough to want to stick around to find out.
Still, to re-emphasize, this manga has some cool things going for it—the Peking opera motif, excellent art, and a mystery that seems intriguing enough. But none of that does this manga any good when it’s weighed down by elements like a clunky translation and what reads as it being disinterested in its own story. If you’re craving an action manga with a different look, you might find what you’re looking for in YAN. But as for me, I don’t see myself revisiting this one or reading further.
YAN, Vol. 1 is available to order on Amazon now in print and digital versions.
Title: YAN, Vol. 1
Media Type: Manga
Publisher: Titan Comics
Story & Art: Chang Sheng
Translation: Vanessa Liu
Lettering: Tom Williams
Editor: Louis Yamani
Designer: David Colderley
