#les mis manga

[maggie44paint]

Crystal's manga Enjoltaire sketch, couldn't help myself they're so cute!

[hadleysmis]

Welcome.

[your-villainous-neighbour]

can't stop thinking abt takahiro arai's evaluation of jean and javert's dynamic, coupled with the massive bold "LOVE IT!!!" at the bottom

exactly, mr arai.

exactly.

[sirgawainofgalifrey]

Okay don't come at me for this but I 100% judge any and all Les Mis adaptations almost completely by their design and characterization of Javert.

Like if he's not on point then I'm sorry, I'm done, I can't.

[pealeii]

real mixed feelings on the les mis manga making javert blonde

[maripr]

Also also also and this is not coherent at ALL but I will never be over the contrasts in the manga character design for JVJ and Javert and for Enjolras and Grantaire and how they even parallel BOTH DUOS!

Javert and Enjolras have blue eyes and blond golden hair, reminiscent of the artistic depiction of angels, a shining gaze that can pierce the soul, the light of their ideal moving them.

And JVJ and Grantaire have a lot of black in their design. Black clothes, black hair (tho JVJ's become grey as he gets more trauma :c) and brow eyes that look basically RED in the color illustrations, and they have a sad cynical demeanor even tho they're inspired by someone else and they ultimately defy their own desperation and cynism to die for someone else and for a higher ideal!

And the chapter where Enjolras tells Javert, now a prisoner, that he's willing to die for his belief and Javert looks impassively and the reader GETS that Javert is also willing to die for his, except he doesn't get his wish in that very same chapter.

If Enjolras is the Achilles of the republic and freedom, Javert is an Achilles that chooses to serve the regime that oppresses him. They have the same fervor and the same almost religious faith in ideals that aren't compatible.

And when the imperfect, tormented Patroclus introduces greyness to their worldview, makes them open their eyes to how they were mistaken, they break but differently. Enjolras breaks gently in the moment of his death, shared by Grantaire, in an embrace that unifies love for humans in general and love for a person in particular.

Javert breaks many minor times thanks to Jean Valjean and the result is never pretty. It all accumulates into him understanding that whatever he does, he's making the wrong choice so he condemns himself. Jean Valjean also condemns himself to death, for the happiness of Cosette.

And though they came SO CLOSE, they never fully managed to comprehend each other. They felt compassion at the end, maybe even love, but couldn't understand. There wasn't time.

[bobcatmoran]

So

What was your final opinion on the Les mis manga by Arai? Because i just finished it (it was published in Italy) and I think it may be my new favorite adaptation of Les mis

I loved it! Easily one of, if not my absolute favorite Les Mis adaptation. Arai is a giant Les Mis fan and it shows — there's so many details that make it into this manga that I've never seen in any other adaptation, and he took full advantage of the media to really dig into the symbolism. It doesn't hurt that he had a ton of time and space to tell the full story, digressions aside (though even the digressions' themes were woven in throughout).

(reminder to folks that the official English translation now has 3/4 omnibus volumes out, and the last one — which will include the entirety of the barricades and their aftermath — is coming out on December 5th! links to order it here!)

[thatbarricadebitch]

Ok so I started reading Takahiro Arai’s Les Mis manga, and I genuinely love it so much.

All the visual symbolism is incredible. I’ve read up to fan times death so far, and it’s just such a great adaptation!!!

It’s clear the artist has a great appreciation for Hugo’s work.

[writtenbyleguin]

hello guys where do i read the entire les miserables manga by arai for free please please please ive been looking for it for MONTHS but every version i find only has like the first 30 chapters

[maripr]

Adding

Shoujo Cosette: you think Post Seine fics should be canon to the book

Arai manga: you're into extremely hot characters who lose it multiple times and epically. Also you like curries

That one stupid ugly french cartoon where Valjean is a jerk to kids (if there are even any fans): you .... Like his fashion choices I guess? I mean, his cane could probably blind someone if misused but you can't deny that it looks cool

Why is this your favorite Javert adaptation? Guesses:

’25: Your favorite is really the novel, and you feel a large, whiskery, threatening man is a good adaptation of the text.

’34: Your favorite is really the novel and you have a hearty sense of humor, so the emphasis on Javert’s futile side appeals to you.

’35: You don’t know about this ‘Javert’ character—you’re a Laughton fan and watched the film because he’s in it.

’52: You’re an odd bird.

’58: You don’t like too much excitement, so the bland acting and occasional tame punchline really speak to you.

’72: You like your villainy served cold.

’78: Yeah, man, I’m a queer too.

’82: You think that Javert isn’t really a villain, and this version hints at that.

Musical (Mann, Swenson, Mutu): You like feral divas.

Musical (Carpenter): There is a nonzero chance you are intense about Earl Carpenter.

Musical (Quast, Lewis): You like feral gentlemen.

’98: You’re the kind of person who owns Disney villain merch. Alternately, the film introduced you to Les Mis, and this greasy little man left a smear on your heart.

2012: This was your introduction to Les Mis, and you don’t care that soft puppy Javert exists solely within the minds of Hooper, Crowe, and your corner of Valvert fandom.

BBC 2018: You don’t have much critical investment in the original character, but you’re gay and you lived your formative years in the early ’90s.

[aki-511]

“I must give you your entry to the revolution.”

From Les Misérables

[maggie44paint]

I feel like Crystal S. Chan's Enjoltaire is very underrated in this fandom, mainly cuz they don't have much scenes in the manga together which is a shame cuz i love their silly little designs

Just look at them, they are so adorable!

[hadleysmis]

Chaos at the barricade, manga

A)

B)

C)

D)

A) Team Banmikasu'

B) Inuki Kanako (Alouette no uta)

C) Arai Takahiro

D) Minamoto Tarou

[yirafter]

I drew Javert by Takahiro Arai.

He is really beautiful.

[secretmellowblog]

Les Mis Volume 4 is painful, and I love how well the Arai Manga adapts the opening chapters-- the ones describing Valjean and Cosette's relationship in Paris. So many adaptations cut these chapters, but Arai really understands what makes Valjean and Cosette's relationship so heartbreaking and compelling, and writes it with a lot of attention and care. So in honor of @lesmisletters being here, here's how Arai handles Les Mis Volume 4 Book 4 Chapter 1! After Valjean is injured in the robbery/ambush, he returns back home to a worried Cosette. (This is the point where the manga shifts point of view from Marius back to Valjean.) He refuses to see a doctor, probably out of a paranoia for his identity being revealed and also personal trauma, and Cosette begins to take care of him instead. This is basically word-for-word from the book. I love the moment where Cosette helps him up the stairs.

After this bit, as Valjean falls asleep, we transition to a flashback exploring everything that’s happened to Valjean and Cosette since we last saw them. We see Cosette’s childhood in the convent, the death of Fauchelevent, leaving the convent,…I really love the convent flashback pages (not including all of them, but here’s some of them):

After a Sad Fauchelevent Death Scene, we start exploring Valjean and Cosette's early life in Paris. We see Cosette being excited by her new home, getting Valjean to eat better by promising to eat whatever he eats, making sure he's warm by saying she'll spend time in his room so he has to keep the fire going for her...all these little things taken directly from the novel ;-;.

And eventually we get to this sweet little moment, where cosette has Valjean stay by her bed as she falls asleep.

Then we transition back “to the present,” where Cosette has fallen asleep by Valjean while worrying about his wound:

At which point Valjean helps carry her back to her own bed:

....Which is probably not a good idea given his wounded arm but that’s honestly in character. It really shows how much Arai understands the core of Valjean and Cosette's relationship-- how they're each other's staffs, taking care of each other whenever the other is hurt, mutually relying on each other for everything.

[maripr]

I refuse to elaborate any further for now but, as for Valjean and Javert in the manga and the anime of Les mis

In the anime: Valjean is seme, Javert is uke

In the manga: Valjean is uke, Javert is seme

Discuss