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Manga Nutcracker #3 – Arte

Vivi Vivi 06/03/2018 7 min read
Welcome again to the Manga Nutcracker! With Vivi the nutcracker! This article is all about cracking open a manga, finding their essence and get to their soul! Manga lovers, artists, creators, passerby….  this series is all knowing different stories and exploring new worlds! Now  let’s go to this week cracking! Crack 3 !      

“An angry girl dreams of becoming an artist, while fighting against a society stacked against her!”

  16th century, Renaissance Florence. Our protagonist, Arte is a young girl of noble birth who harbors an unbreakable-will in these turbulent times. In a world, rife with discrimination against women, Arte dreams of becoming a painter, thereby breaking this historical glass ceiling!   Feeling rejected by her family’s disapproval of this dream, Arte goes in search of an artist that will accept her as an apprentice. After being turn down by everyone for the simple reason of being a woman, Arte, in a fit of anger, cuts her hair to prove how serious she is! Before she going as far as to chop off her own breasts, a passerby, Leo, luckily stops her!   It turns out that Leo is actually a professional painter. Pushed by the peer pressure from the town’s people, Leo reluctantly accepts Arte as his apprentice. Believing that she is just a spoiled rich girl who draws as a hobby, Leo gives Arte a series of tasks to test her. However Arte’s persistence and attitude prove his suspicions wrong! Realizing her resolve, Leo accepts Arte as his apprentice.  

Arte’s journey keeps going and its all worth it!

  One step closer to her dream, Arte starts working with Leo in his atelier. She is able to take her first step on her journey to becoming an artist, while facing many obstacles that will challenge, not only her skills but also her ideals.   Not matter how difficult the situation is Arte doesn’t take any shortcuts. Aiming to be viewed equal to a man, Arte’s pride and determination are visually shown when she refuses any type of gentleman act towards her.   You would think that this highly educated girl’s love of art is what motivates her. However, rejection seems to be the driving force for Arte’s perseverance! The more she is rejected, the harder she strives, creating fuel for her motivation in the form of anger.   Her anger towards the society that constrains her, is what drives this brave girl forward. Tired of the limitations society put her because of her gender, her ultimate goal is to gain independence and support herself without the need of any man!  

In this scene Arte decides to fix her dress and carry the heavy cart by herself, a move that shows her resolve to fight back, express beautifully on her expression and unladylike word choice. 🙂

 

True to her namesake, Arte’s path is filled with a series of rejections, self doubt and criticism, until finally, her path gives way to acceptance, recognition and self-worth. Its thanks to these challenges, that worthy “Arte” will be born.

  Arte’s unexpected solutions to these problems, along with her way of overcoming the trials before her is the jewel at the core of this manga. Compared to the previous article’s protagonist, Arte’s straight forward personality was much easier to crack. She is genuine and self determined, successfully charming the hearts of the readers with her honesty and stubbornness.   The way she expresses her frustration in a patriarchal society stacked against her, with unbridled anger, is what makes Arte deeply relatable.   Do you agree with my nutcracking of “Arte”? What was your favorite retaliation from Arte during her trials? Would love to discuss more with you about this amazing character and story! For more follow me up on twitter with the #mangacracker.   Twitter – @SmacViVi Facebook – Vivi Fabbri Smac  

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