Back in 1968, two comedians took their night club stand-up routine/comedy act onto national television, choosing a name for their new enterprise which reflected the times in which the program was born – we had sit-ins and lie-ins and love-ins, and now we had Laugh In! The show's hosts were Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, and they presented their comedy in a series of short, quick sketches, with a smattering of music throw in for good measure, the only purpose of which was to entertain us. Many well known actors and actresses received their start on the show during its heyday, including Golde Hawn, Lily Tomlin, Richard Dawson, Ruth Buzzi and Henry Gibson as well as a number of famous celebrity guests – such as Leonard Nimoy, Jerry Lewis, Michael Caine and many more!. One of the most famous sketches in the annals of the show featured presidential candidate Richard Nixon querying, "Sock it to me? (An invitation to appear on the show had been issued to Nixon's running mate as well, Senator Hubert Humphrey, which was declined, leading to some speculation that this appearance by Nixon helped him to win the election). It was a classic show, funny and timely – and I was reminded of it when I read ChocoMimi, volume 3, which was my introduction to that particular series, as it too is told in a series of sketches and vignettes populated by its various characters, brief and to the point and funny!
Choco and Mimi are in the eighth grade and are the very best of friends. Choco possesses the more serious nature of the two, enjoying books and movies, sewing and baking, while Mimi is a loveable airhead who is seriously into fashion and collecting bears, and excels at pretending to cry and making up excuses for why she does the things she does. They both like boys, of course, most girls of that age do! Konami Sonoda's series follows their exploits – in school and out – as well as their interactions and friendships, particularly with two boy friends, Ando and Mumu, and Mikami (the boy whom they often refer to as a prince), and the pets in their lives, as well as their teacher, Mr. Take.
Highlights
ChocoMimi is told in a series of vignettes, slices of life of these young people, giving us insight into their daily lives and thoughts and feelings as they follow the path through adolescence, told in short panels, interspersed with fashion tips from Choco and Mimi for the benefit of their readers. Another comparison of the form which the manga-ka uses is the old Archie comic books, which often featured short panels/mini stories which were brief but humorous and at the same time revealed something about the characters through what they said or did. For example, when Mr. Take catches the girls oohing and aahing over cute guys in a book, he thinks he has found them with a current fan magazine, but is surprised to learn that they are actually looking at pictures of warlords in a history book! In another panel, the girls are discussing how cool eye patches look, when Ando comes in, having been hit in the eye with a ball, and Choco is happy to give him the same cool look as the pirate bears! The skits are often grouped in themes based on events, or holidays or simply something that is a part of their everyday lives, such as rain, or having a zit! In one skit, Mimi tells Mikami that he has a crying mole, her explanation being that a mole beneath the eye brings tears. He then extrapolates that an undermouth mole causes drool, but when he begins to speculate on the nature of undernose noles, Mimi is grossed out, and protests that princes do not say "snot"!
Overall
When I began to read this volume, I was concerned first of all that I might not be able to follow everything, not having read the two that came before, and not being prone to instant character recognition in manga reading. I also worried that being a VizKids release I might be bored with it, or find it outside of the realm of my interest, so that I would be unable to relate to the characters and their stories. I was pleasantly surprised! The target audience is probably in the pre-teen range, but don't let that limit anyone from giving it a try. The characters are really cute and chock full of sweetness, and they are a delight to follow through their various escapades. Even though it is primarily filled with humor, there is character development as well, as they become aware of one another as male and female, for they are at that age where puberty is striking, and thoughts of the opposite sex are not far behind. I love the friendship between Choco and Mimi, the way they support one another. And I love the burgeoning relationship between Choco and Ando, who continue to get closer to one another, although Ando seems determined not to notice! Typical male behavior, as often teenage boys are emotionally behind their female counterparts in that regard. The drawings are very cute, almost chibi like. And there are bonus sections which feature the gang as cute little animals! I highly recommend this for your pre-teen girl, and some of the guys will like it too! I will definitely read the next volume when it comes out! And I think I'll end this review ala Rowan and Martin's Laugh In, as I began it, by saying, Good night, Dick!
Comicsonline gives ChocoMimi, Volume 3, 4 out of 5 Mr. Cats!
