XING MANG

DESCRIPTION

CHAPTERS

REVIEWS

• 

  Kingyaoithethird

  88/100
  everyone should be allowed to fogive themselves, and so do you.

  [spoiler free]
  I was conflicted thinking if i should or not write a review about Asterism, because i read the first half more than 2 months before reading the second half, which i did in one-sitting. But it's mixed-feelings effects on me made the thought become clearer so here i am right now.

  Asterism, or The Constellation of Us is not a story about two boys who fell in love, starting off this. The boys' love tag is more than right to be added, what I mean by that statement is that it would be so wrong to say this is the main focus, which is what i was expecting when I started reading that piece of work. It is a work that straights out reveals the ugly parts of people, their fragile souls, their mistakes, their selfishness, that's pretty much the human nature.

  The fact is, during the first half, I actually remember getting really pissed off with the characters. The development annoyed me, I thought they were inconsistent characters with inconsistent behaviors, the lack of communication, everything made me struggle to keep reading it, and i'm not referring entirely to a plot of miscommunication, i'm talking about something that felt like a narrative plot hole for me. I actually still stand up for this, that's why my score is not higher, because i feel like some things could have been done better than they did, of course, my personal opinion.

  But the second half of the work, specifically from chapter 60~, things started to change because we reached a different part of the narrative, the development started to change. And from that part onwards I started to get way more interested, new stories were presented, new backgrounds, new everything, which i wasn't expecting at all.

  Eventually, I came to a point that I started to ponder several things of life, there was a certain part of the work that i thought to myself, with similar words, that "I can't stop crying, because I'm thinking about how it is impossible to simply brush off people's mistakes and forgive everyone for their behavior and acts, but, nonetheless, life is so f*cking hard." Yes, I cried, in that part and in the end of Asterism, that's the impact that it left on me.

  My anger towards the narrative lessened up a little, because I started to look a bit more into the bigger picture. I started to think more, that I didn't have to choose a side, I didn't have to forgive certain actions of a character only because they had a sad childhood, but it didn't mean I couldn't be sorry for them. Life is complicated as it is, the more you blame the more that same blame weighs on you, it's difficult do breath when you try to judge everything all the time, specially yourself.

  That's a bit of what I learned reading this, because, why did these characters have to blame themselves so much, have to fight so much just to find a comfort in their lives? A comfort that was taken by the very exact people who should bring them this comfort? I relate a lot to characters with a difficult life with their families and homes, maybe that's why it was easier for me to 'forgive' these characters for what they've done. Because I look at myself and realize that I'm not different from them, I probably had the same twisted thoughts, the same shameful acts towards the people I care about, only because I'm hurt, as if it was an excuse.

  But sometimes it's hard, it's hard to not pity yourself, but that's not something you should blame yourself all the time for. The characters in Asterism, the main ones, constantly fought the society, but one of their enemies was also themselves, and they had to improve to be where they are, but it's rather impossible to improve alone, because, after all, we do live in a society.

  As long as you survive, there will be a moment someone will reach out your hand and help you, but you also have to try hard to do something, be it a realization, a big feat or simply spoken words.

  Conclusion: Asterism brings such beautiful metaphors and analogies with it, alongside with a beautiful full colored set of panels, each more stunning than the other. Despite my irritation, The Constellation of Us is a great work that is worth the reading, but it is rather difficult, considering the warnings, the topics and of course the same feeling that there is an inconstancy (my opinion), so it might not be suited by everyone, however, if you are reading this, I do think you should give a try here and make up your own thoughts, and maybe you find out a thing or two about yourself or I don't know you realize something about the world that you failed to until now, the important thing is to appreciate every single of it, just like it is important to be kind to yourself.

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• 

  svnrayz

  100/100
  "what do you see ? is it light, or death?"

  [not spoiler-free]

  The constellation of us is a very much underrated work.

  I started it out of curiosity a few months ago, let it sit because it hurts too much – luckily stopped at the end of a narrative arc – and finished it in one sitting.
  I honestly thought it was a cute coming-of-age romance when I started. I was then shot 57 times.

  The first thing that struck me was the art. The paneling of this manhua felt like a narrated museum – almost each panel, as silly as it seemed, was beautiful. You could take a random panel and it would be a full illustration that could be hung up in a museum, and if it's too simple, the following panel made it make sense. It's like that ; an artistic ride through the minds of Hao and Weiyu.

  Considering that the story follows art students, I felt like it portrayed perfectly the emotional turmoil that came out of it. The desperation and dedication spent to create, the wish to create but being only seen as entertainment – and not an actual artist whose works are meant to be felt; not just amusing.

  Then, the story; what a heartbreaking yet also warm story. The first season was the early stage, the innocent love. The second hits harder; its the leftover feelings of something that could've been. Its the lost potential and the forgotten dreams. As an artist, it felt like each chapter had something to be commented on, whether it was the art or the narrative. It portrays beautifully each stage of life , from childhood to how it shapes your teenage years and molds your adult self. The dominoes effect thorough the entire read is something that honestly needs to be studied, because the tiniest action led to something way bigger.

  I've honestly loooved the entire final ride into Hao's book through Weiyu's eyes. I'm a sucker for anything star-related, so the whole metaphor of a star dust wanting to become a star stuck to me. I'm not sure if I truly got the 'right' interpretation, the one the author meant to write, but I like to think that this little stardust was looking for love. Touching/Becoming briefly a star was the euphoric and innocent relationship they had. But everyone's against it – it's impossible for a simple stardust to become a star after all. Some get burnt and lose themselves in the vast universe, and some touch it to never feel it again. But the stardust was still looking for it. Because it was what felt right.

  "What do you see ? Is it light, or death?"
  "I see light."

  I've been trying to make this review spoiler-free but in the end i couldn't :,)
  It's a very good read – if not one of my favorites so far. It definitely has beautiful metaphors and a narrative that makes me want to reread asap. Would recommend in case of existential crisis (kinda...).

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