Vagabond. Vagabond is perhaps the very epitome of a great manga. It has everything: action, suspense, excitment, drama and even a little romance - everything that is packed into Eiji Yoshikawa's amazing original story. That's not to say it is to everyone's tastes. While I personally love Takehiko Inoue's drawings, the imagery at times is very graphic, bordering on grotesque at times.
Limbs, guts, heads fly off in the heat of battle, the drawings are literally so good it's sickening. If blood is not really your thing, you might be better leaving this on the shelf. For those who don't mind a bit of blood however, read on, because while Vagabond at first glance just seems to be yet another manga based on the era of the samurai, this manga has a great deal of depth that literally sucks the reader in. For example, in countless manga involving fights (and in particular, American comic books as well) the reader is presented with a rather generic range of characters - the good guys... and the bad guys.
Vinland Saga. Revenge, compassion, humanity, love. Pointy weapons making minced meat of people. Vinland Saga almost has nothing in common with Makoto Yukimura's previous much praised work, Planetes, except for his passion for technical realism. He grounds his work with research, yet at the same time leaving it open for creative exploration. It’s not dry and lifeless, and at the same time it’s not completely in the realm of fantasy. Vinland saga walks the thin line well. Razor blood soaked thin. This manga is brutal. Vikings pillage villages, they rape and plunder. Yukimura gets Thorfinn's flashback out of the way early in the story, and it’s a good decision as the boy is so fresh-faced, so loveable and innocent; his love for his father so pure, that to suddenly cut from the flashback back to the present and all the while leaving an essential gap in-between; the question that’s on the reader's mind for most of the manga is: how the hell did that young boy end up like this?
Voices of a Distant Star. Hoshi no Koe, Voices of a Distant Star is a short read with roughly 250 pages, although in those 250 pages the message portrayed is powerful. An emotional sledgehammer. Within the first two chapters, as you read of this tale of two lovers separated by time itself, you sympathize with their feelings. Separated by the vastness of space, having time itself as their enemy, this allegory is a parallel to all long distance relationships. This manga is no more story than it is a representation of the fragility of human emotions and how love and feelings for others in far off places are difficult to maintain; how forgetting is so much easier, how forgetting is so much less painful. The art in the manga is crisp and clean, without a doubt a match to the story. The characters are also quite truly spectacular, their reaction lifelike and without a doubt the reaction of the average man.
The story itself, as I stated earlier, is quite the narrative. White Rain. XxxHOLiC. There are very few mangas I give a complete 10 out of 10 for, but if anything, xxxHOLiC excels even at that- I would have given it a 100 out of 10 if possible. It's that delightful and amazing. xxxHolic is a supernatural story about a young teenager named Watanuki Kimihiro who is troubled by his ability to see spirits and his bloodline's inheritance of drawing them close to him. One day, when running away from the usual spirits, he enters a mysterious looking building, only to find that the spirits have vanished, and that the building is inhabited by a "witch"- Yuuko Ichihara- who can grant wishes. Watanuki wishes to be left alone by the troublesome spirits, but in return, must work at Yuuko's shop- a job that is like no other. Soon Watanuki finds himself learning more about the supernatural world, other dimensions, and stumbles upon two characters from a different universe: Sakura and Syaoran....
In a basic short: xxxHolic is not your typical run-of-the-mill manga. 20th Century Boys. 20th Century Boys is about a group of men (and one woman) who, when they had been children, had been best friends, sharing a "secret base" in an overgrown field: a sanctuary where they could read manga, listen to music, and hide from the most evil twins in history, Yanbo and Mabo. One day, their "creative genius," Kenji suggested they bury a time capsule, fill it with their treasured possessions, and agree to unearth it only when the earth was in grave danger, for they would then save it.
Years later, they find themselves leading ordinary, unglamorous lives, their dreams of greatness long-buried under the dust of adult pragmatism. But then strange deaths caused by a mysterious virus begin occurring, and murders and disappearances occur one after another. Then one of their number becomes one of the dead, and all the clues point Kenji to a mysterious man who calls himself "Tomodachi (Friend)," who uses as his sign a symbol known only to Kenji's circle of friends. 21st Century Boys. Surprised that no one has reviewed this, while it may not be at the same level of 20th Century Boys, it's only two volumes, it's the ending, and it's a great read despite it's short length.
If anything I am a little disappointed that it didn't show us a bit more of an "aftermath" to things, I was particularly begging for Friend to have a good reason for what he was doing, but it never came. 21st Century Boy simply wraps up the story of 20th Century Boys story, starting off with the concert that we saw near the end of 20th Century Boys, and leading us into the events we saw on the final page. 21st Century Boy is short, but intriguing and satisfying ending to the great series created by the genius mind of Naoki Urasawa. The story is directly finishing the events that happens in "The New Book of Prophecies" and finishes up all the mysteries of "who friend was? " and "who replaced him?
" and the relationship between the people who were directly involved with the friend personality. 1/2 Prince. The story is about a girl who, in order to prove that she doesn´t need anyone´s protection and help, makes her game character male and the result is that the character´s looks are just stunning (which, of course, makes it even harder for her). And that´s where the fun part begins. The story part of this series is very well done.
The setting is quite unique and yes, it is funny as hell. There is everything to be wanted from a sci-fi/fantasy/game novel - very well done action scenes, good sense of humour, romance and great interaction between characters Characters themselves are well done too. The story is mostly from the view of the main hero/ine and that makes it possible for us to read her mind. The series is well written, but don´t look for metaphorical and melodramatical descriptions and long monologues about every single thing here, there are none of these. Battle Royale. A Psychological, Action, Thriller that will take you on the most extreme thrill ride you can imagine. But be warned, you must be 18. Battle Royale is basically about survival of the fittest, where kids have to duke it out with each other in a sort of "last man standing game".
This interesting plot brings forth a great deal intensity and emotional turmoil, of which you have never seen. It’s also surprising how long and in-depth the story is, even though it only covers a short time-frame. The problem with this set-up is that it almost completely removes the thought of getting attached to any characters because they usually end up the same way. However at least some of them are developed so well that you cannot help but get attached to them.
The artwork is perfect in depicting a disturbing amount of gore and violence that you'll feel sick to the stomach, because the one thing this manga is famous for is going over the top. Battle Angel Alita. Battle Angel Alita (or GUNNM) is a dystopia featuring Alita’s (or Gally, in some translations) journey as a moral, conscious being in the Scrapyard --a ruthless world that resides underneath the god-like Tiphares.
What is right and wrong? And when is someone considered truly “human”? Battle Angel Alita delves into the realm of consciousness, morals, and staying true to yourself. As a manga, it's very, very good. Still, Battle Angel Alita is a far cry from a masterpiece. The setting in Battle Angel Alita was one of the story’s most important features, keeping the reader engaged in it’s mysteries. I can’t say the same for Alita, however, or any of the characters. The narration throughout the manga was very fluid, keeping a certain level of intrigue and sub-plot mystery at the same time.
Honestly, I’m not going to even talk about the art. So all in all, it was a really great read, but it didn’t live up to the hype and expectations. Berserk. Story - 9.38 The first three volumes may discourage some of the readers because it's starts off kind of slow and the initial artwork is not quite up to today's standards. However, after the reader begins the Golden Age arc it is nearly impossible to not be pulled in and become addicted to the series. It is chock-full of action, drama, character development, twists and turns, and just a dash of romance.
It defies generalization and is just damn good storytelling. After the Gold Age arc wraps up the story come back full circle to where it left us at the end of volume 3. Another good thing about the Berserk story is that the protagonist (Guts) is not always the focal character in every chapter. The only problem with the story, in my humble opinion, is the introduction of magic in the manga.
Art - 9.6 One of the few negative aspects of the early volumes can be identified as the simple shading techniques that Miura used. Characters - 9.5 Enjoyment - 10. Billy Bat. When I heard Naoki Urasawa was making a new manga I was extremely excited. I am a massive fan of his works, so it was amazing when I first found out about Billy Bat. The first couple of chapters I was a little confused by the comic in a manga idea and how we were introduced to the comic bofore the characters in the manga.
Also when I first read it I was a little unsure whether it was actually a manga by Urasawa, because of the style the manga had begun. But all my doubts where removed when I we were finally introduced to the main character Kevin Yamagata. Story. Like all of Naoki Urasawa's mangas Billy Bat is no doubt a cativating thriller that makes me want even more every time I read the resent update. Art. Urasawa's art may not be the prettiest or best looking, but his art is easy to follow, not like some commen shoujou manga.
Character. The characters in Billy Bat are strong and well made. Enjoyment. BLAME! Story & Art - 10 & 9 The art is the story. BLAME! Has extremely little dialog and no narration except for an occasional "39216 hours later" or so. Therefore the development of the story is almost solely communicated through the visuals. It is entirely up to you to perceive, ponder about and interpret the present and the past. A critic might call BLAME! A critical aspect of the art is it's portrayal of this vast and seemingly endless setting filled with colossal structures which seem to have been abandoned since who knows when. As for the action scenes, we're allowed to witness the devastation and intense power depicted very clearly.
Character - 8 It's a cold and harsh world which has no room for harboring the soft or the weak. Enjoyment - 10 I barely took a single break while I was reading the manga for the first time, I was glued to it. Detroit Metal City. Howling with laughter while reading "Detroit Metal City" (DMC), the word I kept thinking of was "genius". DMC is based on the theme of dual personalities. Negi Souichi is a kind-hearted, simple 23 year old, a virgin with an ugly bowl-shaped haircut.
He hails from a farm, talks to his mother every day, and dreams of uniting the world with fashionable pop songs about love and French desserts. At night, he dresses up as the fearsome Krauser-san II of the band DMC, a KISS and Gwar-inspired death metal frontman who sings about rape, murdering one's parents, and on stage, beats up an elderly Japanese man wearing women's lingerie known as "The Pig of Capitalism". At first, it seems like Negi is simply forced to go along with this because of the tyrannical President of DMC's record label, a frightening death metal chick who beats up Negi and everyone else standing in her way, and constantly talks about performances "making me wet".
Death Face. Uziga Waita. The sickest of the sick. The grossest of the gross. He makes other artists of filth look like sensitive, menstrual-cycle-having schoolgirls who draw tentative shoujo, whilst cheerfully dancing and frolicking in soft fields full of moistened flowers, gleaming rainbows, and tiny, cutesy, inviting animals. He is an extraordinarily perverted sicko who showers "Death Face" with his dark, strange, and heinous fetishes. "Death Face" is an entrance to his constantly swirling, blood-drenched, nauseating, and luridly violent and sexual universe that he has steadily been building with each one of his revolting releases. He is not the type to care of whether he is "going too far", because "far" to him just means average.
Waita consistently strives to keep pushing it as much as he possibly can with his able body. The art in "Death Face" is either the most appealing or off-putting factor of it. "Death Face" routinely uses many shades of black in the artwork. Doku Doku Ryouki Zukan. Eden: It's an Endless World! Eden is the best completed manga I've read up to date. Why? Because Hiroki Endo's post-apocalyptic tale has got almost everything that can be considered good in manga in spades: great story, gorgeous art and near perfect characterization. Imagine a well thought-out, mature story clashing seamlessly with art that manages to be both realistic and beautiful and characters that almost seem more real than the people one encounters in their daily lives.
If painting a picture in your mind of a manga with such merits proves to be too difficult for you, grab Eden and you'll know what I'm talking about. Science fiction is a major element in Eden's story. In Hiroki Endo's hands, though, the act of toying with wild speculations about the future has not gotten out of hand at all. But Eden is much more than just another heap of end-of-the-world-scifi-shit. The tale's maturity comes from the way these different aspects are handled: carefully and with a clear effort regarding good taste. Fairy Tail. Gantz. Genesis. Godchild.
Hellsing. Hotel. Ichi The Killer. Immortal Rain. Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World. Kuroshitsuji. Monster. Moonlight Mile. Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku. One Piece. Onani Master Kurosawa. Ode to Kirihito. Oral Cavity Infectious Syndrome. Orochi. Pandora Hearts. Phoenix. Pluto. Rurouni Kenshin. Shamo. Stardust Memories. Shin Angyo Onshi. Saiyuki Gaiden. Saiyuki Reload. Tytania. Terra e... The Breaker. The Breaker: New Waves. The Collection. Tokyo Crazy Paradise. The Twelve Kingdoms. Ultra Gash Inferno. Usotsuki Mii-kun to Kowareta Maa-chan Totteoki no Uso.