Izu has had multiple lives. Passed by the world of video games, animation and the world of publishing, he was literary director at Humanoïdes Associés and creators of works as diverse as Omega Complex, Devil May Cry or Ayakashia legend of the 5 kingdoms. From these experiences, he drew a detailed knowledge of the world of creation and marketing. So when he tackles the world of youtubers, influencers and content creators in Talento Seven, published by Kana , the result can only be scathing, funny and ultra referenced. And this is exactly what emerges from the reading of this first volume, a story in the shonen fashion, nourished by references to manga and web figures that scratch the underside of the world of the web while celebrating those who contribute to make it live.
We must save the youtube games
Adel has a dream, to become a web star. Driven by the passion for retrogaming, he decided to share it on the internet. But he has a slight problem. In front of the camera, he is caught up in his emotions and is unable to align the words. His fate seems doomed when he meets at a convention Benzou, a content creator recognized member of the talento seven, the elite of youtoubeurs. Between the veteran and the novice, a relationship of trust is built. Benzou is indeed in search of redemption. Disappointed by the evolution of the world of the internet, he seeks to find the simplicity and honesty of his beginnings on the networks. However, his new projects are rejected by his management driven solely by the search for the maximum number of views. So when his superiors launch a big contest to recruit the next member of Talento even, Benzou decides to support the young Adel in his desire to break into the world of internet creation. 
Talento Seven: Through the Looking Glass
Izu offers a humorous story revealing the reality of the world of content creators. Its hero, Adel as Alice, plunges into a world of illusions. The world of the web has indeed changed. Between what Adel believes and what he discovers, the gap is wide. The days of the "wild west" web are over. Behind the content creators hide large multimedia groups in search of return. Programs are therefore chosen based on return on investment, product placements and satisfaction surveys. More room for originality. This story is also interested in the construction of this web culture. Content creators, youtubers, influencers, it's all this recent history that unfolds before our eyes through Adel's journey. Indeed, the web has become ultra competitive. It is difficult for our hero to break into retrogaming. From niche, the subject has become mainstream and Talento Seven offers an inventory of the web economy. As well as a reflection on the notion of success. Will passion and generosity be enough to make Adel triumph? 
Attacking popularity
This first volume offers a cringeworthy and somewhat cynical metaphor of the world of influencers. Indeed the Talento Seven are adored by millions of Internet users and young videographers. But behind the smiles hides an artificial construction. Indeed, Izu compares this group to a boy band whose communication agencies calibrate the slightest statement. Everything is conditioned by a permanent story telling. This then raises the question of the sincerity of the steps and the courage of the mentor Benzou to speak out against this system. This then leads the story to point the finger at the compromises, the cowardice that these multimedia giants are able to impose and that are forced to accept the stars of the web. It is impossible to reveal more here but Talento Seven resonates with the most dramatic recent news. We also feel that the author has looked at the debates that have inflamed youtube, including the reflections of the attic player on the evolution of youtube. This leads this manga to evoke the differences between generations including their relationship to the internet by describing an opposition between pioneers who became stars by accident and newcomers who make a career to become a star. 
Talento Seven: the guardians of the sanctuary
If the subject is sometimes bitter, the tone of this manga remains nevertheless very positive. It is indeed built in a shonen spirit. The drawing perfectly accompanies this tone carried by Kalon, an artist who defines herself as being from the Goldorak generation and whose discovery of Japanese anime was the trigger of her passion. And it shows in his staging, his faces, his universes. It takes up all the codes of the genre, multiplying iconic poses worthy of Saint Seiya or Dragon Ball to energize Adel's journey. The reference to Saint Seiya or Dragon Ball is not only visual because the hero of Talento Seven must climb multiple stages, acquire new skills and face his own fears as formidable opponents. In his quest for the Supreme Grail, he will be able to count on mentors Benzou (a nod to the videographer Benzaie) and the player of the cellar (the JDG). The story becomes very meta mixing fiction and introspection of the world of youtube on itself. This manga becomes only exciting by this perpetual coming and going in imagination and real world. Talento Seven presents itself as the Bakuman of the internet world. Funny, incisive, nourished by reflection and winks, it is a strong work that we look forward to the sequel.
