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Volume 1 :
The Four Dragon Brothers with Super Powers
Artist : T.T.Maya
The first few covers are
all done by T.T.Maya, and I just love them all! As you
shall see, although drawn by the same person, each of
them is given a different taste by a different technique.
This picture shows the four brothers in a charming
Western style. Some say that Hajime (front) and Tsuzuku
(left) look like Hollywood stars, but Owaru's (left) hair
looks a little bit too messy. As a matter of fact, the
hair of the boys DO GROW in the story, as described by
the author in the later volumes. And Owaru is that kind
of guy who can't stay put... and tidy too, perhaps?
Therefore, this picture is truly "realistic". |
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Volume 2 :
The Fire Dragon on the Skyscraper
Artist : T.T.Maya
I won't be surprised if
this were to be a cover for an anime video. Yet, this
version by T.T.Maya is much better than that in that The
Legend of the Four Kings anime. Did anyone watch
that anime? If you did without first reading the novel or
seeing CLAMP's illustrations, I think you wouldn't
probably know how irresistably attractive Tsuzuku should
be, as emphasized by the author again and again in each
and every volume. (Doesn't he get tired of it?) CLAMP's
illustrations, though very beautiful, are somehow too
feminine. This picture picks up that element and
expresses Tsuzuku's "icy eyes" quite well. But
just what is Hajime's right arm doing? |
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Volume 3:
The Counterattack of the Four Brothers
Artist : T.T.Maya
This one looks like a
doujinshi work or some early shoujo depiction. Though we
are pretty sure that the person at the back is Tsuzuku
(he is the one characterized in the story with fair or
lighter hair), the one in front can be either Hajime or
Owaru. The blue colour belongs to Hajime, all right, but
if you read Volume 3, then you will notice that Owaru
takes the lead in this story. At this point, I would like
to say that CLAMP's drawings for the pocket size covers
seldom have connection with the story. The Chinese
publisher might be wiser to choose such an ambiguious
picture for the cover of Volume 3 because in Volume 2 it
hasn't been decided which of the above two brothers
should transform into a dragon this time. And, of course,
the winner goes to Owaru. |
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Volume 4:
The Awakening of the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas
Artist : T.T.Maya
Fashionable or
unconventional, it's a nice drawing of a man not at all
bad looking, but I would rather prefer it to be Lambert
Clark of the Bull Clan. However, it isn't his turn to
show up yet. Therefore, this guy must be the unlikely
Hajime. As the four brothers have once discussed it in
one of their "tea meetings" (those held at the
end of each volume), the author never describes how the
four dragon brothers convert back to humans. All we read
every time is their clumsy, funny appearance as four
naked male homo sapiens. Good thing Motsuri can't
transform... No! I mean so that she can prepare clothing
for the four brothers. What were you thinking? |
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Volume 5:
Mirage City
Artist : T.T.Maya
An impressionist style
that looks a lot like a painting I have seen before.
Anyway, Volume 5 is a "special" volume where
the brothers finally have to go back where they never go
purposefully before or after, namely "school".
Only CLAMP give us the pleasure of seeing Owaru and Amaru
in school uniform, whereas in here we see three persons
stand side by side in a mystic aura. Smell the fishy
smell yet? It seems like when the brothers aren't busy
busting the military bases and struggling with the bull,
they become heroes in protecting the schools of their
grandfather's friends from sinisterness and corruption.
This theme will surge up again later in Volume 11. |
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Volume 6:
Bloody Dream
Artist : T.T.Maya
While some people are
pondering whether the red lingerie was there originally
or not, I just don't see the point to show a girl on the
cover in such form any how. Perhaps because the special
Volume 5 hit bottom and the publisher wants to attract
more attention this time? The truth is neither Matsuri
nor any other female characters got stripped or
threatened to do so. Matsuri is brave and determined even
when she is confronting Lambert Clark, the would-be
tycoon then but a coward himself. Like our colloquial use
of "beauty and the beast", Hajime often seems
too stern and boring for the lively Matsuri. No wonder
her father would think Tsuzuku would be a better choice
of a son-in-law than the eldest dragon brother in Volume
2. |
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Volume 7:
Dragons in China
Artist : T.T.Maya
The current saying of
"China Wind" in Cantonese (it starts in Hong
Kong, anyway) comes from the directy reading of Japanese
kanji. This phrase is used a great deal in this volume,
particularly when Tsuzuku and Owaru went to the residence
of their ultimate foe Kobayakawa where too much of the
good Chinese stuff becomes suffocating. Back to the
picture, Hajime (this time I'm pretty sure) is wearing
the long Chinese robe (the kind which is still worn by
kong-fu masters and Chinese men in New Year). And to my
surprise, this face looks dramatically like a friend of
mine who prefers reading over other activities, despite
he is quite tall and strongly built, just like Hajime. |
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Volume 8:
Dragons in Fairyland
Artist : T.T.Maya
I almost screamed out
"Taishaku-ten?!" when I first saw this. Yet, of
course, this theme is based on the Hindu deities as in Rg
Veda rather than the "real" deities of Chinese
mythology. Ancient texts and artifacts may provide much
examples for the depictions of beautiful Chinese fairies
and gods, but I can understand the hardship the artists
might have when they have to draw illustrations for
Soryuden. Heroic and warlike ladies like Mulan is not
common, and the only depictions I can think of are from
those old black-and-white Cantonsese movies and heroic
fictions of the recent generations. Now, while CLAMP have
already drawn the dragon brothers in august armour,
T.T.Maya goes for a more subtle way of presentation.
"They look like women" is just another
perspective. |
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Volume 9:
Dragons in Monstrous Era
Artist : N2
Cool eyes and
colour! The number of heads reminds me of Gundam Wing.
Clockwise from top are Hajime, Tsuzuku, Owaru, Amaru and
Matsuri. Notice the artist has been changed from this
volume onwards. I don't know the reason, but I will sure
miss the old drawings by the previous artist.
Once-a-while simplicity like CLAMP's Clover
isn't bad at all, but it sure cannot be repetitious. As a
result, the coming volumes are done in a yet newer way of
art, namely 3D simulation. |
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Volume 10:
The Last Day of Great Britain
Artist :
"Common" (Ping Fan)
Not so surprisingly, the
original Japanese title also means the same. However, the
author bears no enmity against the British. Rather, he
has reasoned in the story that if it wasn't the British
Museum, many of the artifacts would have been gone and
disorderly scattered. Now, I don't know whose faces the
artist has done the distortions, but two of them looks
like two female TV stars in Hong Kong, Hajime (top right)
looks too young, and Owaru will sure come to bite off the
cover when he sees his "white-face boy" look on
it. Frankly speaking, I HATE this kind of smooth-faced
android figures, and I HATE FF7, FF8 and the rest of PC
games with this kind of graphics. None of the boys looks
"handsome" instead of "beautiful",
like eunuchs! Yuck! |
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Volume 11:
The Last Day of Great Britain
Artist :
"Common" (Ping Fan)
Better, but still...
(Sorry, but I wish to see more artistic talents than
cheap alterations.) Hajime on upper right corner looks
like "Chinese Hero" comics in Hong Kong. Amaru
in the middle looks good enough, but his Adam's apple is
too big. And who are Tsuzuku and Owaru? Lower right and
upper left respectively? Or the latter a girl actually?
(Owaru has to bite again.) Any how, these four faces do
not look like brothers to me. The shapes of their mouths
betray them, unless the four brothers were having
different parentage. It is amazing how much one can learn
from the art school, from anatomy to geneaology, even
palmistry. Of course I'm just joking here, but at least
the temple-like building in the background does make
sense with a story about a performing art institute.This
is another "special" in which the brothers do
the rescue in the academy. |