Need a breath of fresh air after months of confinement/deconfinement? This is what Tetsuo Utsugi offers us in his very first manga, L'appel des montagnes, published by Delcourt/Soleil!
The story
At the University of Santama, the mountaineering club needs help! Kuroki, Kaneda and Kusaba are desperate to keep it open, despite their small budget and lack of interest from other students. But the three acolytes remain determined to transmit their all-consuming passion! Back to school could be the perfect opportunity to recruit new members… and to make us discover at the same time the mountains of Japan!
Mountain and discoveries
The Call of the Mountains is primarily an ode to the Japanese mountains. As a seasoned amateur, Tetsuo Utsugi uses his manga as a kind of practical guide to mountaineering and hiking in the high mountains. In a very didactic way, technical information, tips and tricks and the history of this extreme sport are linked. In addition, the author punctuates his chapters with the insertion of photographs of the mountains he climbed, citing their names and the place from which he photographed them. We are then surprised to contemplate for long moments these massifs tutoying the sky. Because, in the manner of Dans le sens du vent – Nord, Nord-Ouest (Aki Irie) or La fille du temple aux chats (Makoto Ojiro), also available from Delcourt, L'appel des montagnes is a rather contemplative title. Here, no hurry, no screams, except those of Kuroki when she is carried away by her passion, perfect transcription drawn from that of Tetsuo Utsugi himself.
The Dream Team of mountaineering
The other strength of this first volume is held by the characters. The leading trio, composed of Kuroki, Kaneda and Kusaba, form a complementary and endearing team. Kusaba nevertheless remains quite withdrawn during the first chapters, giving pride of place to the volcanic couple Kuroki-Kaneda. A beautiful relationship of emulation is exercised between the two students. Their verbal jousting and humor add to the pleasure of seeing them evolve side by side. Nevertheless, Tetsuo Utsugi takes advantage of this privileged relationship to confront different visions of mountaineering. Thus, Kaneda can let loose macho comments regarding the athletic performance that Kuroki is capable of as a woman. This allows the author to highlight the cruel lack of pioneering women in this field and to re-examine the prejudices they may be victims of. Kuroki's goal is then found: to open new paths and go beyond limits! The mangaka also deflects preconceived ideas about this sport that he carries as a standard. So much so that when reading this first volume, we too would like to jump into our hiking boots and set off to attack a mountain! In the manner of Nanbu, Irima and Kaga, the first year students, the reader joins the club and learns over the pages the basic notions to have to climb safely. Humor is also very present, both at the gestural and verbal level. As for the drawing itself, it is visually very pleasant and full of details. The whole makes this reading very enjoyable and soothing. In conclusion, Tetsuo Utsugi's test gallop turns into a real success! At the crossroads between Ascension (Shinichi Sakamoto) and The Summit of the Gods (Jirô Taniguchi and Baku Yumemakura), The Call of the Mountains is a very good introduction to the world of mountaineering and the brotherhood of those who practice it! If you like contemplative but catchy titles, this first volume will delight you! To read an excerpt, click here ! Volume 2 is scheduled for October 13, 2021.
