Dramacon review

[Yuffie]

Ah, I love bad stuff. Except when I pay a lot of cash for it. I don't think I've read/seen anything has been bad enough to let me laugh at it for awhile.

Dramacon volume 1 review

Dramacon follows the story of high schooler Christie. She’s an amateur writer, who seems to have no idea what a convention is, yet still decides to sell her comic with her boyfriend at an anime convention. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? A lot of the story follows this wonderful logic. She meets up with a hot cosplayer, Matt, does some growing up that weekend, and leaves him at the end of it.

The story itself is very strong in points, very weak in others. The dialogue flows very well, and the characters that do the talking are interesting. The story is about American conventions, a very seldom written about topic in a serious light, and it hits right on a lot of the emotions at a convention. The fun of the time. How cool the staff is. How intimidating and awesome cosplayers are. The meeting of new people, especially some who will mean a lot to one. The leaving of those people, and knowing they won’t be seen again for months to a year. And just how much growing up can be done in a single weekend.

In the end though, the weak points overtake it. The story has far too many gaps in the logic, and absolutely no explanations for them. The characters while interesting, have no substance, especially Christie, or the story for that matter. We have no idea where the convention is at, or if Christie has parents. The details that are included about the story are badly presented. We barely even know the conventions name, a single apperance of the guide in the second page. The only driving force in this story is her relationship with Matt, that’s all there is. The lack of substance keeps it from being that great of a story.

The art, is noteworthy. The artist at times makes her faces too long to look good, but otherwise her character designs are different and eye-catching. She is especially talented at drawing males. There are too many screen tones, which is too bad because the artist’s backgrounds are very well done and nice to look at.

With it’s flaws, Dramacon could have worked very well as a short story, yet it’s hard to see it able to manage being an ongoing series. It’s worth getting if the reader enjoys ongoing mindless soap operas, although there are many other better mindless soap operas. Maybe if one just likes looking at the art, although one can find better art. Anyone wanting more should pass this one by.

I say-2.5/5
This story needs so much that it lacks before it can be an ongoing story. I will give it this though, the male characters in here are hot as hell! Even if it has little else.

[Shyra]

I thought it was called Yattacon? On the second page of the first volume the name is mentioned anyway.

[Yuffie]

Yeah, it's Yattacon. I didn't even notice that! It was stuck in the corner of the panal. o.o;

[KaiserMikeB]

I don't like this comic for two reasons: 1) it's like a cliched parody of itself.
2) There are already enough people who feel like cons need more drama, I certainly don't like something that glorifies being a dramamonger, perpetuates the schema that cons are full of drama, or turns our problems into entertainment.

I like my conventions drama free, thank you.

[Yuffie]

I didn't get the impression that the con itself in the story was full of drama, or that it made it feel like that cons were full of drama. Just a lame title.

And although it does use drama in a way that it hinders the story, it's got nothing on Romeo+Juliet!

Not that is changes the fact that it's still really bad, and those are good reasons to dislike it. I just don't feel that it was overly dramatic in the first volume. Although by the sound of it, as the story goes on, that will change.

[Kag-ST]

I agree with Mike.

Drama is never good for anyone.

[Torouh]

I actually really liked Dramacon. I thought the story was kind of different and pretty eye-catching (so to speak.) Although I agree with you Yuffie, more details would have made the story better in the first volume. But then when you keep reading into the series, it starts telling you a little more. When you said that she didn't even know what a con was, I gotta disagree. She seemed to know WHAT it was, she just wasn't prepared for all the strange sights of a con (the cross-playing and such) and was kind of scared. And thats not totally unrealistic. I mean, I was kinda shaken up at my first con too. But yeah, it is mainly one big soap opera (thats whats so great. lol.)

[Yuffie]

Heh, I didn't review the series though, just the first one. To me, it doesn't matter if they're put in later, at this point it's lost my interest.

I do agree with you now, Torouh after my boyfriend decided to take him best friend to Matsuricon for his first con. >.<

To be honest, I hate most soap operas unless they're different, and then I can get pretty hooked. This one fails to break the mold, not helped by the fact characters are so shallow. So that makes my opinion really biased. xD Really, I have enough drama in my life, so it doesn't strike me as entertaining.

[Torouh]

Lol, I lack drama in my life, cause I tend to kill people who cause drama for me in life.

[sesshouga]

I've read all three books of Dramacon and I really liked it actually. It gets better in the second book, and the third book was phenomenal! I thought it was a really cute love story. I don't know. Maybe I'm just a sap for those kinds of things? ^^;;;

[Yuffie]

Hehe, most excellent Torouh. The fact one of my friends calls me jailbait says enough about my life. xD

I dunno, I'm not a romantic. I don't think enjoy 'true love' stories that are completely unrealistic in my mind. Actually, one of the reasons I love Princess Tutu as much as I do is their protrayel of love, it's not tragic but still very truthful.

Wow, this thread revealing just how much of a grump I am.

[Fumouffu]

Not exactly my favorite manga, but it kept me entertained! There is that cliffhanger at the end.. The art I didn't mind too much, and the characters were funny! It wasn't really exactly too much drama. It was the usual, girl falls in love with boy, boy has another girl; what are they to do? If I had to rate it I would give it a 3/5.

[Torouh]

Just a little update, I saw that they had a large book of Dramacon with all three volumes in it at Sugoicon this past weekend. I'm so glad I picked it up! It has a extra story in the back about Matt and Chrissy's first date. Everyone should take a few seconds on their next trip to Borders and read it!