Manga Reviews Reviews

Manga Review: The Poe Clan Vol. 1 (1972) by Moto Hagio

As one of the pioneers of the Shojo genre, Moto Haigo broke into the male dominated manga world and began to create titles that allowed for a larger, more diverse audience to become enamored with the medium. “” is one such work, centered around the aptly named family, which explores the dark, romantic and often troublesome life of a vampire family in the 18th century.

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It is difficult to deny the allure of Hagio's visual style, which works with elongated figures, posed graciously in the finest fashions, in front of detailed backgrounds. The style really remains timeless in its ability to convey the beauty and motion of its subjects, and the flow between panels can become rather mesmerizing. This complimentary flow plays wonderfully into the full page panels that really allow the reader to immerse themselves in the romantic visual aesthetic that the mangaka is well known for.

The narrative tends to fall into a repetitive pattern, with the family settling in a specific area and running into difficulties that lead to them having to leave. This works to add further lore into the family history, as each interaction reveals more details of their past. While this does help to deepen the lore of the family, it also has an adverse effect on any supporting characters. Noticeably, after the pattern is established, many personas begin to fade when faced with the realization that they will just be a side note to the immortal legacy of the clan. The cast is massive, and while the actual family is engaging, it is unfortunate that so many others just fade into obscurity. However, not all the temporary players are completely devoid of interest and a few manage to match the intrigue of the family, albeit it for a fleeting moment.

Perhaps the most engaging aspect of the story comes by way of the progressive approach towards sexuality, which is not surprising given Hagio being one of the early authors to pioneer the ‘shonen-ai' (boys in love) genre. Although not graphic in its portrayal of sex, the young vampire Edgar's sexual orientation seems geared towards male partners. This also becomes reflective in the art where the lines between male and female physiology becomes blurred through androgyny or giving traditional female traits to the men Edgar courts. The work feels more like a celebration of diversity than exploitative, as the story always conveys a longing for love and deeper connection from its protagonists. The approach to sexuality certainly speaks to the success of Hagio and her impact on the industry.

The romantic charm within the story is also undeniable, as Haigo homages well established themes within the romance genre utilizing vampires, fashion, time period, age range etc. It checks all the boxes one would expect of a romance genre aimed towards a (mostly) female demographic that it almost feels formulaic at points. However, the subject matter is approached with such passion and grace that even within the cliched moments, it is difficult to deny the strength of Hagio to work within this genre and the beauty she is able to capture in her illustrations.

“The Poe Clan” blends gothic romance with the macabre, under the fantastic and detailed artwork of Hagio. For those who enjoy work from prominent authors such as Anne Rice and Edgar Allan Poe, the work captures the poetic and romantic tendencies of both authors. However, within this almost flawless homage, it will be difficult to capture a new audience that exists outside of the aforementioned genres. Overall, “Poe Clan” is heavily tailored towards a specific audience, which are certain to fall in love with the mangaka's visual and narrative prowess.

About the author

Adam Symchuk

Adam Symchuk is a Canadian born freelance writer and editor who has been writing for Asian Movie Pulse since 2018. He is currently focused on covering manga, manhwa and light novels having reviewed hundreds of titles in the past two years.

His love of film came from horror and exploitation films from Japan that he devoured in his teens. His love of comics came from falling in love with the works of Shuzo Oshimi, Junji Ito, Hideshi Hino, and Inio Asano but has expanded to a general love of the medium and all its genres.

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