Re-readings - Interlude #1

Let's take a break from re-readings this weekend and have a look at some of the artwork from the first eight stories. All the artwork is by Yasuko Aoike, and the snips have been taken from scanlations at mangafree.me - translations by Kx, photoshop work by Margaret Price.

This is how we first see Dorian, on the cover of Volume I. (In my view, this picture doesn't do him justice. He's a much better looking man than this!)

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... and here's his first entrance in A Thousand Kisses!

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Throughout A Thousand Kisses, Dorian is drawn with big-eyed dreamy expressions on his face, no doubt to emphasise his exceptional good looks.

Aoike's depiction of Dorian settles down over the next few stories, becoming more consistent.

Love in Greece:

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Dramatic Spring:

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Insha'allah:

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Hallelujah Express:

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Veni Vedi Vici:

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We first meet Klaus is in Iron Klaus, when he reports to the Chief at the beginning of his mission.

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I think he looks quite stiff and cardboard-cut-out-ish. However, within a few panels, Aoike-san gives us a close-up of his lovely eyes.

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SELF INDULGENCE WARNING for the following snips! The images of Klaus I like best are the ones that show us Klaus in action. Such as....

... from Dramatic Spring:

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... from Love in Greece:

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... from Hallelujah Express:

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... from Veni Vedi Vici:

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The man is inseparable from his gun.

Speaking of guns, it's well known in both canon and fanon that Dorian is a klutz when it comes to firearms. That doesn't mean he's scared of them, though. We've seen Dorian using a gun in a number of these first eight stories:

... Iron Klaus:

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... Achilles Last Stand :

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... Insha'allah:

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... Hallelujah Express:

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... Veni Vedi Vici :

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They're both pretty unshakeable in a tight situation. As we can see in this stand-off in Veni Vedi Vici:

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Equally matched, you might say. Which is a good thing, because Klaus begins a personal vendetta against Dorian in Iron Klaus, when they first meet ...

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... and by the time we've read Veni Vedi Vici we find he's still as determined as ever:

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I wonder whether Dorian regards that as a threat or a promise?