First of all the art in this graphic novel is beautiful. I really did enjoy the style of it. I also liked the story of the legend of mask and I how the art was used in that. But that is about all I enjoyed about it! The main character was generally useless. She does not really do anything, always needing help and to be saved by a man, who even then does not want him to join her. But she obvious would have died if not for him.

She always seems to go against all the time. She offers herself as payment to this man just to say thank you for carrying her dead fiancé body back to the village. He is nice enough to not take her up on that offer. They go on this journey to get the mask, then for no reason what so ever she gets man at him as she believes he has fallen in love with her but then continues to flirt with him for the rest of the graphic novel. It was just so annoying.
The pacing in the this graphic novel is all of the place, in the start not a lot happens and was quite boring but the second half was completely filled with action and fight scenes but there was still no pacing to this and they went through them really fast.

The plot didn't get anywhere near the legendary mask, which I guess we will all get in the second book of this duology.

Yall are so weird towards women, lets start there......................................................

The first in a story of two parts about a woman trying to do the impossible and the man assisting her on her journey.

Sadayako finds her fiancé killed in a gruesome battle, and instead of merely grieving and accepting her loss, she dramatically takes matters into her own hands and sets out to find the "Mask of a Thousand Tears" - a mythical and mystical mask that is said to bring people back from the dead. As she sets out on her journey, she's joined by the chatty yet enigmatic Masamura - in his own words, a mere peasant wanting to see the world.

The premise of the comic immediately drew me in, as did the mythical Asian setting, but ultimately, this one didn't really work for me. What it does have going for it is the unflinching portrayal of violence and gore, which I think fits perfectly in the setting and intention of the author, and I also appreciated the attention to detail in the world building (especially the folklore) and some of the illustrations that weren't accompanied by text.

Where it fell short for me, however, is the portrayal of the characters. With the exception of Masamura (although he's not that big of an exception either), the characters all fall flat due to either a complete lack of depth or an over-dramatisation of emotions and reactions. The main female character, Sadayako, somehow manages both. Part of this problem, for me, lies in the writing, and part of it lies in the illustrations themselves - I just had extreme difficulty connecting with the characters in this comic, and with an emotionally fraught story like this, that's a big no-no.

Aside from the character issues, there was a bit of a glaring continuity error that niggled: on page 57, Masamura is badly wounded in his first fight (this is illustrated prominently in the page's largest frame), yet moments later, when he grits his teeth and starts fighting back, his injury has mysteriously disappeared. Where did all the spurty wrist blood go? It's small, I know, but it just broke the rhythm of the entire fight scene for me. Instead of concentrating on how Masamura transforms into his true self while engaged in battle, I kept peering at the drawings to see if I could spot the blood that was supposed to be there.

Overall, I was sufficiently intrigued to want to know what happens next (especially with Masamura - the comic's biggest redeeming factor), but I won't be clamouring to get my hands on Part 2 just yet.

The Husband and I both got this graphic novel through Netgalley and decided to read it together (how cute)... and ended up both being underwhelmed. 

The art in this graphic novel is Stunning! I really enjoyed the look of it. I also liked the 'story time' of the legend of mask (though at the same time I got a bit annoyed by the main guy in it), and I loved how the art was used in that.

 

 

And that is all I enjoyed about it really. The chick is absolutely useless. Like I get she is in mourning, but still... she doesn't do anything, constantly needs help and saving by this guy, who she tries to convince to not join her. But she would have died within 5 min without him. Also, she is so contradictory towards herself. At the start she offers herself to this guy (yes, I have already forgotten their names...) as payment for carrying her dead fiancé back to the village. He is nice enough to not take her up on that offer. They go on this journey to get the mask, and then she gets angry at him because apparently he has fallen in love with her (very presumptuous of her, he never made this apparent and is just a nice guy. Also I have no idea why anyone would fall for her cause she is a useless idiot), and then continues to flirt with him for the rest of the novel. He also contradicts himself several times (and yes, part of it is because of this hidden past, but there are also moments where he recognizes a place he said earlier he had never heard of for example). It was just so annoying, I wish I could slap them in the face (mainly her).

The pacing is very off... The first half of this was so boring we almost DNFed it. And then it completely flips near the end with a lot of fight scenes, but it is so fast there is no time to care about it. The plot didn't get anywhere near the legendary mask, which I guess we will all get in the second book of this duology. But that is the only real reason I wanted to read this, so I was quite disappointed in the plot of this novel as well.

So yeah, sorry this review is spoiler riddled and all over the place. In summary, I didn't enjoy this and would have DNFed it if wasn't such a quick read. It looked pretty though.

Good read! I find myself struggling with depth in a lot of graphic novels but this one did not disappoint. There were a couple scene switches that were a bit too accelerated, but overall the story was all there. Great artwork too! Some of the big landscape scenes were stunning. One comment on the language - the slang and shortened (movin’ vs moving) words felt a bit out of place, considering it was ancient Japan.

`Not the best intro into a series, it was pretty boring at times. The woman protagonist is an idiot. Thank you Net Galley for accepting my request to read this.

A really stunning graphic book, with beautiful artwork. The story was very interesting, about a man during a war in Japan. It was an actual historical short story, which ended too soon.

*Received a free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

What would you sacrifice for the one you love?

The Mask of a Thousand Tears is a tale set in fantasy Japan during a time of war, when armies leave famine and death in their wake. Masamura is a peasant man who embarks on a journey alongside Sadakyo, a woman set on finding a way to bring her dead fiance back to life with the help of The Golden Mask, a legendary object hidden away in a far off land. Along their journey, their circumstances start to reveal themselves just as their determination to succeed is tested time and time again.

First, I would like to applaud the beautiful art style. Admittedly, I get a bit of cognitive dissonance in seeing a very Western-style of art depicting a Japanese fantasy tale, but that could just be because I'm an avid manga fan. But there is little to complain about when it comes to how detailed and vibrant the artwork is, especially when it comes to the period-appropriate fashion.

That being said, one nitpicky thing I must point out is that one character is named "Luji", and there is no "L" sound in Japanese, so that threw me off. Granted, this is "Asian-inspired" but I really would rather that part not be there. Also, the names Goji, Kaji, Ziji, and Luji are notably more Chinese-sounding than Japanese-sounding, especially Ziji (there is no "zi" sound in Japanese; the closest thing is "ji") and Luji, yet the artwork depicts them as wearing Japanese clothing with Japanese-style scenery in the background. Maybe it's just because I'm Chinese myself, so I get frustrated when Asian cultures get mashed together.

The themes of love and loss fascinated me. The tale of the origins of the mask offers a classic monkey's paw message that acts as foreshadowing for the rest of the story. The spiral of obsession that Masamura falls into as he sacrifices everything to ensure that Sadakyo can complete her quest is very compelling to read about, even if at this point Sadakyo herself is still a bit flat, more a prop to propel the story than a full character. I especially liked the theme of love being incredibly selfish, particularly when it comes to grief.

Interested to see where the story goes from here! It ends at such a painful cliffhanger.

3.25 stars
This was a very interesting read, though it was out of my league for a graphic novel in terms of the content it was very historical. They were drawn in detail and i enjoyed reading it.


Do pick this up soon!

A solid plot, a solid art, nice coloring. In all, an interesting graphic novel that tackles the themes of loss, love, and kinship.

Wow - this started with a slow burn and exploded at the end. Part one of two; the beginning was relatively slow and focused on a long journey to find a quest object. I thought it was going to be a standard love story plot but it became something very different close to the end. Lots of questions of destiny, human nature, violence, and love; going to get the second volume and see if the ending follows through.

Thank you to Net Galley, artist Roberto Ali, and author David Chauvel, for the opportunity to review this fine book. My primary disappointment is that it is a tale told in two parts, meaning they broke the story into two books, so I am only reading the first installment.

This is a Japanese story of the emotional weight of love, the persistence of love even after death, and the struggle for self-value and redemption. The story starts with the death of a lowly Japanese soldier and follows the struggle of his wife to cope with his loss. She refuses to accept his death as final and receives the aid of another lowly soldier in her pursuit of an artifact said to have the ability to allow the wearer to retrieve deceased ones from the realm of the dead.

The book is in a comic book layout, with different sized picture cells occupying each page. The comic enjoys a wide range of color, and benefits from beautifully rendered landscapes and buildings and wonderfully wrought characters. The primary characters are compelling and truly moving. This is not a comic driven story, but rather a story driven comic, with a plot that advances as the characters slowly develop and grow.

As far as comic violence goes, there are multiple scenes of blood, gore, and death, so if you intend this book for a youngster, I suggest you review the comic first yourself. I don't think there is anything severely traumatizing, but it is worth reviewing. There is no gratuitous sex displayed in the comic, although there are romantic love scenes, in which the artist has kept the scenes appropriate for younger or more sensitive viewers. As far as language, there are only a couple of instances of strong language, and it is appropriate for the scene and not used for shock value.

A lovely artistic piece. Again, my only complaint is that it is two books rather than one, so I have to wait for the other half to be released.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

This book drew me in with its gorgeous cover and interesting title...however, I wasn't that impressed with it. The artwork was beautiful but I found the story fell a little flat for me. There were wonderful parts of the story but I just didn't feel that engaged with the main characters and some of the dialogue made me cringe. The backstories weren't developed enough, although maybe we will learn more in book 2. I think I"ll check out book 2 when it comes out but it isn't something I"ll actively seek out.

Following the aftermath of a brutal battle, a young woman finds her dead fiance among the carnage and joins up with a mysterious peasant to obtain the coveted Mask of a Thousand Tears which will allow her to bring her fiance back from the underworld. The Mask of a Thousand Tears had an interesting concept and the art work was visually appealing and easy to follow, however, I had some difficulties reading the text and the romance seemed a bit too rushed. Not a terrible read but I don't think I would be interested in reading the rest of the duology.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics publishers for providing a free ARC

I really enjoyed this! The art style is lovely and the premise of the story is intriguing. I always enjoy this kind of quest story, and I would absolutely check out the second installment!

I really enjoyed this manga. The characters are not so developed that the storyline isn't the main thing, the art work is stunning and it was a nice easy read. I can see this working really well as a duology, but also as a series. The main characters are enjoyable and it would be nice to see a romance blossom.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this arc for review.

I need more of this graphic novel!!! It looks like The Mask of a Thousand Tears has two volumes in it. The story follows Sadakyo who discovers her fiancé is dead and wants to find a mask to bring him back. Towards this adventure, Masamura accompanies her and they travel to the castle to find it.

Honestly I don’t quite understand the deep love that makes Sadakyo to risk her life for this mask. The novel has flashbacks that draws you more into the story and their relationship. I enjoyed the artwork and can’t wait to read the second one.

Thank you Europe Comics and Netgalley for giving me an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review

I've read a fair amount of graphic novels in the past year but I've never struggled to read the text because of the art style before. Perhaps reading the text would not strain my eyes as much if it was on physical copy but this greatly influenced by reading experience. Aside from the reading difficulties, the story was also quite confusing as the character jumps from one topic to another until there are simply too much information for the reader to even digest right away. Aside from this, the comic was a pretty okay read and I only have one gripe with the ending of the story.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.

Content Warning: Death, Gore, Suggestive language, War/Fighting Matches

”Where I am going, I must go alone. Death walks with me.”

After Sadakyo discovers her fiance brutally murdered on the battlefield, she decides to embark on a quest to bring him back--even after death. She carries his body home with the help of a scavenger named Masamura. Once her fiance is laid to rest, she sets out on a treacherous journey to hunt down the Mask of a Thousand tears.

Inspired solely by tales of legend, Sadakyo warily accepts the company of Masamura on her travels. Mysterious, quiet, and sullen Sadakyo is the opposite of outspoken, enthusiastic, determined, and light-hearted Masamura. Naturally, the dynamics between two characters with such different personalities keeps the reader engaged with where their interactions will go. It feels almost inevitable that the pair will eventually fall for one another, but Sadakyo is determined to save her fiance from the black spring.

There were some instances where I felt that this plot was paralleled Monstress, but only in the beginning. A girl searches for a mask with magical powers but also deals with the dead. A strong-headed female protagonist will stop at nothing for the ones they love in both. There’s even a scene of wild dogs attempting to attack the main character, but in The Mask of a Thousand Tears, Masamura comes to the rescue. A couple of pages in, these plots diverge their separate ways.

The artwork is pretty, but has an unfinished quality to it. This is my personal opinion, but I would love to see more depth with less of a sketchy-appearance to the images. Despite that, the style is appealing, especially in architectural scenes.

This graphic novel series definitely encompasses an engaging story. I’ll be picking up the sequel to continue on with these characters to see how everything will play out!

Vulgarity: Minimal.
Sexual content: Minimal.
Violence: Markedly.

My Rating: ★★★1/2

I very much enjoyed reading The Mask of a Thousand Tears (Script by David Chauvel / Art by Roberto Ali)
The artwork is beautiful and the story had me hooked from page one. Would definitely recommend this for people who like medieval Japan and adventure stories. Will definitely read part 2.