Shiroi Heya no Futari

Yakoz Mar 28, 2017

7

A fragile Resine de Poisson moves in an all-girls school after her parents died. Her new roommate is a girl called Simone d'Arc who's beautiful but bad-mannered. Resine doesn't accept Simone's personality, but somehow there's something intriguing that bring them closer and closer. Plus/minus considerations: STORY: this story has substance. A dramatic shoujo-ai where two girls, who are the complete opposite, attract each other and live in a point in time where homosexuality is seen as a sin. Keep in mind this manga is from the '70s. I want people to remember that because the more I read new era shoujo-ai, the more I realize the plots lack originality and depth. 50 years ago it was everything but fanservice and you realize there's a huge difference. Positively impressed by the dialogues that at times look poetical, classy detail. (++) ART: not my cup of tea. Proportions are really off in some panels but characters are well defined in gender and aspect, which is not a given for '70s manga. I guess this manga is not aging as bad as other contemporaries. (+) CHARACTERS: two main characters, two poles. They're different in everything: personality, looks, behavior. As complete opposites they compensate each other really well, given how short this manga is. I liked how scared Resine is about general opinion of her being possibly labelled as a lesbian. This brings you decades back when this was a delicate theme. I also liked a lot how Resine is disgusted but also fascinated by the fact that Simone smokes, apparently a synonym of delinquent. (++) I suggest this read to whoever is not familiar with shoujo-ai, since the fanservice is reducted to the minimum: it's all about story and characters interaction. For how short this manga is, you need to give it a try. Art style could be outdated for most of the readers, but it's not a let-down. 

ialex32 Jan 1, 2023

7

Thought to be the first work of yuri manga, Couple of the White Room follows the sheltered Resine and her forbidden, tragic love with Simone. Although their opposing personalities lead them to clash early on, Simone discovers her feelings for Resine, who tries unsuccessfully to suppress them. After a passionate kiss as the leads in a school rendition of Romeo and Juliet, their story parallels Romeo and Juliet's ending. A fated love marked by tragedy, bonded for eternity but separated by the cruel hands of the world. Although Couple of the White Room is generic by today's standards, it was wildly subversive and influential at the time, inspiring generations of queer media following it. Its publication in Ribon, a magazine generally targeted towards a young female demographic, further exemplifies the pioneering nature of the Year 24 group. Not only did its authors break through gender barriers and featured active female leads, but it also brought more complex themes and broke heteronormative norms unheard of in prior shoujo works dominated by male authors. The art also has a brilliance seen only in shoujo of the 70s, and is best viewed and interpreted as a work of its time.

nathandouglasdavis Mar 10, 2021

4

A tragedy. Of a passionate, life-consuming love on the level of Romeo and Juliet's. And of the fear of social ostracization and being called a lesbo. It starts out by showing how Simone marches to the beat of feir own drum, in a slightly delinquent type of way (smoking cigarettes, sneaking out at night), and how fe seems to mock those who worry about conformity. Then it shows how Resine, the unconfident normie, and Simone start noticing and developing an interest in each other during their time as roommates at the boarding school. Then some drama, intimacy, and confrontations--ultimately leading to the tragic ending. The art isn't very good. There are a few panels that are quite nice (like the one talking about how Simone must have Spanish blood), but those are the outliers. The eyes are fully black and randomly sparkle. Flat skirts. Awkwardly pasted texturing, like on Simone's pants. And basic backgrounds. Frequently, faces will be drawn portraited in the foreground while the main action is going on in the background. I assume this is supposed to represent the character watching the main action going on, but it just looks like they're staring off into the distance. The artist doesn't seem capable of drawing faces from certain angles, leading to situations where characters who are supposed to be looking at each other don't actually appear to be looking at each other and other awkwardnesses.