Somewhere in the galaxy, a group of space wreck looters board the
Leviathan,
a huge adrift transport ship.
No trace of life on board.
Very quickly, they find a logbook written by a teenager.
The story then switches to the past, when explosions of unknown origin cut a class of middle school students and their two teachers from the rest of the crew.
Their school trip turns into a nightmare ...
See also
Sensor
by Junji Itô, the horror with a thousand facets
Published this January 6 by Ki-oon editions,
Leviathan
is a
survival
in the vein of
Battle Royale, The carried away school
and
His majesty of the flies
.
“My story is a sort of intellectual experience on the themes of the“
tramway dilemma
”or even the“
Carnéade board
”,
explains Shiro Kuroi to
Le Figaro.
In a context of terror in the face of the unknown, of confinement and fear, group hysteria often takes precedence over reason. It is a phenomenon that is repeated at all times, and that we can still see with the coronavirus. ”
The mangaka evokes the influence of
Titanic and the
Space Battleship Yamato
saga
for the surprisingly retro design of his spaceship. Shiro Kuroi / Ki-oon
Rather than opting for a chronological narration, the author has set up a double temporality: that of the wreck looters and that of the college students.
"The film
Rashômon
certainly influenced me in the structure of my history: a third person tries to discover the truth in the meanders of the account of a past tragedy",
notes the mangaka. If the flashbacks constitute the main part of this first volume (of three), the “exploration” part in the present tense accentuates the suspense and gives a chilling glimpse of how the adolescents will behave towards each other.
Cruel and devious, the plot
"indirectly illustrates the torments of adolescence"
, specifies Shiro Kuroi, before continuing:
"In Japan, the period between 13 and 15 years brings its share of challenges, with for example bullying , rumors, refusal to go to class, problems of friendship or violence. Many children experience a descent into hell at this age. Not everyone has the same journey - there are also quite a few people who spent carefree and happy adolescence - but, for some, life at school feels like a deadly game as depicted in
Leviathan,
where his own survival (on a symbolic level) depends on his position within the group. "
I tried to do all the hatching by hand, but it was so painful that I almost ended up with an inflammation of the wrist, and I ended up adopting the wefts.
Shiro kuroi
Leviathan
immediately arrives with its graphics. The reader's immersion is reinforced by the particularly neat feature of the mangaka, whose highly detailed sets are inspired by Katsuhiro Ôtomo (
Akira
), Tsutomu Nihei (for whom he was an assistant on
Knights of Sidonia
) but also the French comic strip. -belge, in particular Sergio Toppi and François Schuiten.
"I am fascinated by the drawing of the
Dark Cities," says the designer.
I tried to get closer by not using any
weft
on chapter 1 but finally decided to change my approach from chapter 2 to make the drawing more expressive. I tried to
do all the hatching by hand
, but it was so painful that I almost ended up with an inflammation of the wrist.
I ended up adopting the wefts. "
Leviathan: example of a drawing started and finished by hand on the computer
Access the slideshow (3)
The artist, who works in traditional but completes his drawing on Photoshop, explained in
Ki-oon Mag
number 3 his singular method for making his wefts:
"I do not use ready-made wefts, because I find their rendering too superficial. .
I developed a technique to give a more artisanal and personal touch by creating various brushes with hatch, mesh or ink chips patterns.
It saves a lot of time on the finishing touches. "
“Until now, I had mainly drawn color fanzines.
I had little experience in black and white.
I'm still fumbling to find my style, ”says Shiro Kuroi.
Extract from a fanzine by Shiro Kuroi
Born in 1980, the Japanese won a contest organized by
Afternoon
magazine ten years ago, which resulted in the publication of a manga, then two short stories.
But he has failed to break into the industry since, despite producing many visually impressive fanzines, which can be found on his site.
To be on the safe side, I preferred to keep my [web designer] job on a permanent contract while drawing my story at the same time.
Shiro kuroi
“I bought the fanzine that served as the basis for the story at a convention (Comic Market),
” explains Kim Bedenne, editor at Ki-oon.
The title was already
Leviathan.
We agreed to use this first chapter to develop a long story
.
I accompanied Shiro Kuroi in all stages of the creation of a project, and I always support him in its realization. ”
It is therefore an “original creation” published directly in France, without going through Japan. Ki-oon now offers 23 titles of this type, and does not intend to stop there.
Leviathan
may be the author's first success.
He avoids selling the skin of the bear before having killed it:
“The production of my manga began when the coronavirus began to spread.
To be on the safe side, I preferred to keep my [web designer] job on a permanent contract while drawing my story in parallel ”.
The artist still manages to deliver a chapter every two months by drawing three hours each evening and twenty hours each weekend, or 35 hours per week in addition to his food job.
The BD box (attention, slight spoilers)
Futuba Nikaido's face is inspired by that of actress Machiko Kyô (1924-2019), “as she appears in
Akira Kurosawa 's film
Rashômon ”.
Shiro Kuroi / Ki-oon
This scene takes place in the second half of the first volume and refers to the secret that binds Futuba and Kazuma. They alone are aware of the coming oxygen shortage and the existence of a hibernation capsule, synonymous with survival for the person who will manage to lock himself in it.
“We see here a young boy who can be influenced being exploited by a ruthless girl,”
analyzes Shiro Kuroi.
Like the lights of gas lamps in the film
Haunt,
it sends him deceptive signals that make him doubt his own memory and his sanity. "
The moral opposition of the two characters is at the heart of the story:
“For Futaba, I was inspired by female characters with an evil side that we see for example in
Chainsaw Man, Tomie
or even
The Flowers of Evil, explains the mangaka.
As far as Kazuma is concerned, I wanted to make him a not particularly heroic boy, like the hero of
Evangelion
or that of
Gantz
. "
I think it's important to offer a realistic rendering, not distorted as is often the case in manga or in anime
This board is particularly interesting in its way of changing the representation of the face of the schoolgirl. Confronted by Kazuma, Futuba drops the mask. She first displays closed features and clear, empty eyes, which dehumanizes her, then sketches an enigmatic smile, accompanied by a piercing gaze. Finally, the third image presents Futuba with half-closed eyes, with a slightly Machiavellian air, as she prepares to counter-attack ...
“I was inspired by the evolution of the expressions of the characters in certain films .
, as at the end of
Rashômon,
when one discovers the true nature of the woman, or in
Haunted,
when one sees that under the mask of the gentleman hides a monster,
tells Shiro Kuroi.
I think it's important to offer a realistic rendering, not distorted as is often the case in manga or in anime. "
And the author concludes:
“The behavior of this boy victim of the schemes of an evil girl is a key element of the work.
When you have finished reading it, this scene might take on another meaning. ”
Leviathan
(volume 1 of 3)
,
by Shiro Kuroi, translated by Alex Ponthaut, Ki-oon, 196 pages, 9.95 euros.