Dramacon Ultimate Edition Book

Dramacon Ultimate Edition - If you're a manga fan and have been/want to go to a Con, READ THIS! *5+ Stars**The Gush*
I was an avid manga reader the day I picked this book up. I had been to a total of one con, a small one, with some friends and had even dabbled in cosplay. Yeah. So I knew a bit what to expect from a book set in an Anime con...and I wasn't disappointed. Far from it, I was amazed and brought immediately back to all my fond memories of that time with friends. Svetlana Chmakova has captured the good, the bad, and the ugly of so many fans trapped in a small place dedicated to their mutual love for a weekend. More, she captured the spirit and the heart; which I would have considered impossible before reading this. And, just as an extra, she gave us great characters and a neat plot to boot.
 
Characters:
One of the great things about this series is that not a single character is wasted. Each one, even the minor ones are there for a reason, whether to illustrate a type of person one will see in a con or to provide an integral part of the story. All of them are interesting and, if you've been to a con, most are recognizable to you.
 
Christie:
 
The main character, she is a young woman who grows from an 11th grader to a freshman in college through the course of the series. She is a writer, a lover of all things manga/anime, and a child thrown off the deep end into her first con. She discovers the wonder, the problems, and the pain that can happen during such a highly emotional event. Yet she comes back for more. She has dreams of writing manga and is part of the artist alley crowd - which opens the reader into another part of the con world, one they might not themselves get to experience. She's a typical manga heroine, kinda spastic and off the wall but so very lovable and you root for her every time she has a frame. She's not beautiful or super smart, she is (like the author/artist tells us in a cameo) the every man, the one we are to relate to and she does it beautifully.
 
Matt:
 
The main guy in the story. He is a rough, sarcastic young man roughly two years older than Christie who feels an instant connection to her. Around her, he is different, better and his sister instantly tries to push them together. It is mainly to Christie he shows a different side of him and though they fight like anything, they also work well together. He is an old hand at cons and acts as a sort of guide - though not without leaving a few scars from cutting comments. He is a deep character, with some bad history following him around, but you can't help but love him.
 
Bethany:
 
Christie's second artist on her manga, she is a very good artist who has a driven mother who sees working as an artist as akin to being a Hobo. However, this is her love and she dreams of doing it for a living, even if it is hard. She is the newcomer to cons in the second book and falls in love with the heart and energy of the gathering.
 
Lida Zeff:
 
The final major character that has to be mentioned is this older lady who serves to introduce Christie and the reader to a manga creator doing the circuit of cons who also gives a glimpse into the hardships and the rewards of working with manga.
 
Plot:
 
I don't want to give too much away here as I'm writing this in the hopes that it helps someone decide to read this series. This is a compilation book holding all three of the volumes that make up the series. Over the course of three novels, Christie meets Matt; experiences her first con and comes back for more; deals with all the hardships and joys of being a dreamy eyed young person; and deals further with pain, loss, cosplay, new friends, love, and growing up. Surrounding this personal tale (which is very good), is a larger one of what one experiences at an Anime con, both the good and the bad. This is, I feel, a must read for anyone about to go to their first con, is thinking about going to one, or someone who has gone to one or more and wants to nostalgically relive it.
 
Writing/Illustrations:
The writing and drawings in the series are in a word: perfect. The dialogue is wonderful, entertaining, often hysterical, and always relevant. Her illustrations are even better. At times, one hardly needs to read the words at all. They tell the story all by themselves, often times bringing tears of laughter to the reader's eyes. My favorite part is in one frame where Christie is standing between her boyfriend and Matt as they nearly come to blows. Something they say sets her off and she incinerates them with her fury. Two towers of ash, surrounded by flame frame her, one with wide comic eyes (the boyfriend) and the other marked only by shades (something that is integral part of his character).

 
It is hilariously funny and wonderfully executed (with her boyfriend even coughing after like his lungs are singed a few frames after). Another is a scene of Christie storming down the middle of the anime market flames billowing all around her. People all around her are staring at her and the comments make this scene. One small boy points and asks his mother if they can buy those; the mother's face is priceless. A group of young people are amazed at her cosplay and wonder where she got it with one cynically quipping she must have got it from Japan while another critics that it needs more color. This not only lampoons manga staples but also works them into a real life situation with such ease, it's all part of the con atmosphere. This is a sheer delight to read and shows the creator's wonderful talent.
 
*The Rant*
Very little, though I have two minor complaints. First is the language. When it is used, it is completely unnecessary and slightly jarring. Also there are couple of inserted conversations that come completely out of thin air, happen, and then are never mentioned again. The problem is they are about really charged issues and just ring wrong. Finally, the age tag on this is not right. This is set for 13+ and I just could not in good conscience give this to the average 13 year old. I would suggest 15+ and that depends on the 15 year old. Most of this book would be good for most ages, but there are a couple of very...adult situations that while not shown in any great light are there, mentioned, and important to the story. This is just something one should be aware of.
 
*Conclusion*
If you are an older high school student or older, a fan of manga, and either a) are going to your first con, b) want to go to a con, or c) have been to one or more and love to remember - this is the book for you.