Manga Review : The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Manga Classics

Manga Classics: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Series : Manga Classics by Udon Entertainment / Official Site
Illustrated by : Kuma Chan
Adapted by : Crystal S. Chan
Original Author : Mark Twain
Year Published : 2017
Genre : Manga, Classics, Adventure, Adaptation
Edition : Digital (also available in Paperback, Hardcover, and Kindle eBook)
# of Pages : 393 pages

Summary

Chafed by the -sivilized- restrictions of his foster home, and weary of his drunkard father’s brutality, 14 year-old Huck Finn fakes his own death and sets off on a raft down the Mississippi River. He is soon joined by Jim, an escaped slave. Together, they experience a series of rollicking adventures that have amused readers, young and old, for over a century. The fugitives become close friends as they weather storms together aboard the raft and spend idyllic days swimming, frying catfish suppers, and enjoying their independence. Their peaceful existence ends abruptly, however, with the appearance of the King and the Duke, an incorrigible pair of con artists who take over the raft. After many difficulties, Huck and Jim escape their tormentors, and with the help of an imaginative rescue by Huck’s old friend Tom Sawyer, Jim gains his freedom. Manga Classics breathes new life into this American Classic with a faithful adaptation of Mark Twain’s masterpiece.

Review

Note : Many thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for providing an e-Arc of this title to me for the purpose of review.

Another nicely done adaptation from Manga Classics. The art style is befitting for the characters. There is a lot of charm in the rendering of Huck, Jim, and Tom. I did find Huck’s shadeless eyes a bit odd though. The direction and flow of the panels is well done and kept me into the story. There are certain dramatic and emotional moments that are conveyed well and in fitting somber ways, while the light comedic moments are also well handled and fitting to manga stylization.

There are a number of end notes from the staff that go well in explaining their methods of adaptation and how they approached certain scenes. At almost 400 pages and almost 40 chapters, they took great care in trying to keep a great deal of the story intact. The language utilized is, as customary for Manga Classics, purely faithful to the subject matter. I did grapple at times with the speech patterns of some characters and the addition of artwork assists with the context.

Overall I enjoyed this one but on a subjective level, there are classics that I feel are more outstanding and show off the skill of Manga Classics adaptation abilities more readily. The Count of Monte Cristo and Les Miserables still stand out as my favorites. But for pre-existing fans of Huckleberry Finn who may have some nostalgia for the work, you wouldn’t be steering wrong in checking this out.

Overall Rating – 8.5/10

Why You Should Check It Out – A charming adaptation of the original story that does well in conveying the seriousness and the humor of its source material in appropriate measure. Character designs are well thought out and match the characters, especially the main characters, nicely.

Why You Might Not Like It – There are other adaptations by Manga Classics that are more enthralling choices. If you’re not a fan of Huck Finn, this adaptation probably won’t change your mind.

Manga Classics: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Have you read any titles from the Manga Classics line from Udon Entertainment, or do you want to? What do you think of the source material, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Feel free to comment, your thoughts are much appreciated.

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