Judul: From Dusk Till Dawn Pengarang :間々原Ellie (Mamahara Ellie) ISBN 4-403-66083-5 Penerbit: Shinshokan

Is there an angel in your heart?

This is Ellie's second work for Shinshokan, after the unfinished Kyokutou Kid, published more than 10 years ago. The story is about Kirishima Eisuke, who works as a scout. Not a usual scout--he searches for girls to star in porn videos (including BDSM and bestiality ones). One night, as he was trying to make a girl agree to become the next porn star, a young foreigner fainted at his feet. The blond, blue-eyed man spoke fluent Japanese, and he was starving so much that Eisuke had to take him to a restaurant.

The foreigner--his name was Clarence--was indeed a very strange one. He followed Eisuke home because "A lost thing that you found is yours. You found me, so I'm yours" and before Eisuke could help it, Clarence was already living with him. Strangest of all, Clarence had an extraordinary healing power (by licking or kissing the wounded part of the body ^__^) and he seemed not to be able to remember his past.

Life had been hard enough for Eisuke, being in the dirty business in which people slay each other, and now he was unintentionally involved with Clarence--who was being chased by some people for unknown reasons. Eisuke would later find out that Clarence's existence had something to do with the murder of his (Eisuke's) father years ago.

Ellie finished her manga in a strange way. In fact, it's as if it hasn't finished at all. It's like having read one of those weird short stories in Sunday KOMPAS. It leaves an impression but perhaps no explanation of how Eisuke's and Clarence's lives are after it. A happily ever after, perhaps? ^__^

From Dusk Till Dawn is charming and funny (Eisuke's revenge to the ones who attacked him and his friends were videotaping them being 'done' (ahem) by a cow. "Don't worry. It will come out in mozaic after all." :P), in some parts bloody, but never dark enough. There's nothing really bombastic or over-romanticised although the theme of the story is heavy enough. (As far as I know, Ellie's sole bombastic series is Sweet Blood and perhaps J1 and J2, but I haven't read the latter two, while her over-romanticised work such as Last Target were actually written by other people.) And don't ask if you think you've seen Eisuke before. He's apparently of Ellie's favourite type.

PS: In the story, an old film was mentioned. I watched it when I was a kid, but I have forgotten the title. It's about an angel named Clarence who got no wings and tried to get one. The manga ends with Eisuke asking to Clarence whether the angel in the film he talked about before managed to get his own wings, and Clarence answered 'Himitsu'.

 

Reviewed by Tyas