Published by TokyoPop
Slugline: An idol story about a star who is all about being an idol, no modesty here.
Sometimes even very silly stories with over-the-top premises can hang together on a strong plot line. It's not usual, but Divalicious manages to have both a meaningful story and a frivolous approach. In manga, there are an entire subgenre of idol stories about people beginning music careers to become stars. Divalicious is an OEL, so it is set in the US, and Tina Young, the diva of the title, is already well on her way to stardom but there is one diva yet in her way. Her manager Shaquille tries to direct her, but despite her flighty nature she somehow manages to still keep on track, much to the disappointment of the music management company A Few Notes. The majority of the book seems to be little one-off episodes, but at the very end, the slight problem that A Few Notes has been suddenly blooms into a full blown victory for them as disparate story threads are suddenly woven together to create a prison cell for Shaquille and a gilded cage for Tina that she cannot see.
The art is very manga, with deformation being used far more extensively and organically than most other OEL titles. Though this title's genre is not my usual bag, and I can't remember how many idol manga I've had to read, I actually grinned while reading this. While the story itself is fairly standard, it is very well executed with an art style that fits perfectly.
Divalicious is also available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.
- Ferdinand
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