Research consultant: Shin-ichi Fujiwara
Translated by John Neal
196 pages
Published 2021 (English translation published 2023)
Read March 14
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Dinosaur Sanctuary: Volume 1 bears the rare distinction of being one of the few good works of dinosaur fiction. It accomplishes this by keeping things simple. Our human characters are caretakers at a dinosaur sanctuary. Light drama from their lives intersects with the day-to-day business of keeping dinosaurs alive and happy and the zoo financially solvent. The dinosaurs are beautifully drawn and distinct characters in their own right. That’s all there is to it, and that’s all the story needs. It works beautifully.
For the most part, Volume 2 successfully continues the vibe from the first volume. I liked it maybe a tad less this time around, if only because much of the wider cast gets shortchanged, mostly in favor of the central pair, Suzume and Kaidou. One chapter shifts gears entirely, following a random high school boy and his quest to find the self confidence to ask his crush out on a second date to Enoshima Dinoland. One of my favorite human characters from the first book, Kirishima, receives less two pages this time around; another fave, Torikai, appears in one panel and doesn’t speak at all. (I am slightly mollified, but only slightly, that the two of them get their own pages in the bonus manga at the end of the book.) While the first book’s charm remains, this volume felt slightly lacking.
All that aside, this was still better than almost every dinosaur book out there. I can’t wait for Volume 3!
No comments:
Post a Comment