“Carole and Tuesday have come a long way since their impromptu collaboration on the streets of Alba City, and now they've finally secured an official stage for their performances: the televised competition, Mars Brightest! But while their soulful music wows the judges and audience, dissonance grows between them, threatening to tear their group apart. Can Carole and Tuesday come out of Mars Brightest as the winners—or even as a team…?” (Yen Press)
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The third and final volume in the “Carole and Tuesday” manga adaptation comes to an end at the same point as the first season of the anime. A slightly bittersweet conclusion, as the book acts as a wonderful love letter to the hit tv series, but won't extend into the second story arc. Regardless, the third volume brings the reader into the “Mars's Brightest”, the pinnacle event of both seasons, competition with a bang!
Notably, what makes the music manga complimentary to the anime is Morito Yamataka's interpretation of musical movement into his art. From the campy ‘rap-opera' of OG Bulldog to the slick gyrations of flamboyant Pytoyr in his song ‘love yourself', Yamataka expresses the character's movement in an inventive and exhilarating way. The introduction of a song will be met on the next page with a flurry of motion with vague forms that express an outpour of emotion and music, specific to the performer's style–those familiar with the OST will draw instant connections. Furthermore, expressions of the eccentric competitors of the competition are competently conveyed. Notably, the shy persona of Carole playing off against the more boisterous Tuesday.
The only aspect of the art that lacks is when capturing the environments of Mars: there is little focus on the landscape which was an intrinsic part of world-building in the anime. Visually, the lack of the alien landscape is the only notable attribute the book is lacking in fully capturing the aesthetic of the source material.
Narrative-wise, the manga does take some liberties and skips a few plot points. Sacrificed to the cuts are notable characters, such as GGK whose appearance is a side note at best. With Yamataka's ability to put a motion to music styles exclusions such as the psychedelic diva, come across as a missed opportunity to bring more style into the release. At the same time, all key moments are touched on and the most important dynamic, the relationship between Carole and Tuesday, is wonderfully realized in the adaptation.
If you are a fan of the anime and looking to get your hands on anything “Carole and Tuesday” related, the series is a must-grab. Not only does it capture the greatest moments in the series but Morito Yamataka adds enough to the work of BONES & Shinichiro Watanabe for the book to stand on its own. Throw on the soundtrack and curl up with the manga, it makes for an ideal evening of unwinding.
