MAESTRO

A mysterious old conductor suddenly appears to a disassembled Chuo Symphony Orchestra; his name is TENDO. This is the story of the rebuilding of an orchestra, and of TENDO, a charming but somewhat difficult character to depict. There story has great presence, and the sounds of the instruments can almost be heard; flute, oboe, horn…and many others.

It is very difficult to express music in the soundless world of two dimensional manga, and this composition is complicated in itself. The central characters are a nameless old conductor and a young concert master, and their story is interwoven with episodes involving individual members of the orchestra and their instruments, all of which finally culminates in a concert. In some of the scenes, where string or wind instruments are played, the reader can only be amazed by the expression, which seems to not only convey the music, but also the sound of the player’s nervous breathing. SASO Akira has obviously become a maestro of manga artist.