Among the new releases published by Glénat in April 2021, Elio the Fugitive, Masami Hosokawa's first work published in France, is added to the publisher's shônen catalogue. Discover here our impressions on the first volume of this historical saga!
The story
Imprisoned in Hell Dorado prison since he was fifteen, Elio Sanchez is a seemingly casual boy. However, his formidable fists and iron will allowed him to survive the many battles that the prisoners of this squalid establishment have to fight. Having defeated a thousand of his comrades, the young man is freed and finds himself wandering through the vastness of the Kingdom of Castile. But this territory, which covers almost all of present-day Spain, is not in the best of situations. It is indeed subject to authoritarian laws and very difficult living conditions, both because of the Black Death that ravages Europe and the religious wars that do not end. No one escapes the blind justice that provost marshals are responsible for asserting throughout the country. This is what Elio understands when his path crosses that of Lara Resmondo. This young girl from the nobility is about to be executed after being accused of murder. Then, faced with the distress of this knight's daughter, Elio snatches her from the hands of his jailers. Thus begins a journey through the lands of Castile, which will lead our two protagonists to unearth many secrets…
A classic but honest shônen
The first interest of Elio the fugitive is its rather unused historical context. From the outset, Hosokawa says he's done a lot of research to create a solid foundation on which his story can build. One senses that a certain passion animates him about this period of European history. Nevertheless, this first volume leaves little room for the development of this background, in favor of the meeting between Elio and Lara. In addition, Elio the fugitive is no exception to the rule of shônen and offers a classic plot: a hero with a troubled past and colossal strength, accompanied by a young girl who for the moment is rather a side-kick. Indeed, if the character of Elio quickly reveals his cards, Lara, meanwhile, is in this first volume quite transparent. She thus seems to passively suffer her fate, without worrying too much or revolting. Therefore, we have the impression of a rather flat character, with rather strange reactions. We will come back to that a little further. Second rule of shônen that completely ticks this first volume: action. Lots of action. Little downtime is left to the reader! Events follow one another, echoing the race against time in which Elio and Lara have embarked. A few touches of wacky humor dot the story, while the main antagonists appear bluntly.
Potential, but progress to be made?
Elio the fugitive obviously does not have the ambition to revolutionize the genre of shônen. Masami Hosokawa unfolds his story without a hitch, but without really hooking us either. The very classic chara-design lacks finesse in the features, sometimes giving an impression of fixity or even heaviness, especially at the level of facial expressions. There is little play of shadows and lights. This technique could have brought depth to boards that seem a little empty (without it being a stylistic effect and serving the characters, as in Dogs: Bullets & Carnage, for example). In addition, the fights are quite repetitive and without really suspense. A blurring effect would tend to give an impression of speed to the movements of weapons and characters. But to use it too much, the mangaka brings the opposite effect and makes his boards a little messy. In addition, Elio the fugitive has only five volumes, the plot unfolds at high speed, quickly setting its context and characters. So quickly that we don't really have the means to attach ourselves or identify with them. The motivations remain unclear, and the reactions of some protagonists leave us a little doubtful.
A heroine who lacks bite
This is the case with Lara, one of the main characters. Indeed, and this from the start, the girl seems to accept without flinching her fate. If Masami Hosokawa puts forward her faith to justify her attitude, this instant acceptance of the injustice she suffers is destabilizing. Fortunately, Lara quickly changes her mind, helped by Elio! Finally, one of the most important cogs of the saga is revealed very quickly: Lara has hidden origins, and not least… If this revelation brings an extra touch and promises a spring plot, it nevertheless seems to us to occur a little too early in the story. Dragging out the mystery of Lara's origins longer would have allowed for further development of both the characters and the plot. There, all the cards are placed face down on the table! It's a bit of a shame… especially since Lara once again accepts this announcement almost without batting an eyelid! His reaction is quite astonishing, even confusing. No denial, no questioning, just acceptance. However, this has the advantage of allowing our duo of fugitives to quickly get down to business. They will then consider a plan of action to unmask the mastermind of the murder of which the girl is accused. But this one does not yet have the trappings of a strong and striking heroine … The trials she will go through and the relationship with Elio may be able to make her blossom! Despite some flaws, Elio the fugitive is therefore a shônen who "does his job". It is an effective, fast and no-frills manga, which has for him the particularity of its historical context. Let's hope that Masami Hosokawa will take a little more time to set his plot and develop the psychology of his characters, before the fifth and last volume! To read an excerpt, click here !
