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Apr 8, 2014
Surprisingly, I enjoyed Witchblade Takeru. Maybe it's because the half naked girl in the cover set my expectations right there and then. Or maybe its because, although highly unlikely, that I have bad taste in manga.
The titular Takeru is a girl raised in a Buddhist temple with her Grandma and fellow Buddhist sister Seishu. Her life gets turned upside down, inside & out after demons invade her home and injure her family. She needs to fight back so she grabs the Witchblade, fuses with it, and proceeds to instantly get at least 50 years worth of Kendo.
If you've seen the original Witchblade counterpart, then
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there are not too many things this manga does differently. Different setting and characters, but everything else (witchblade, insanity, monsters, organizations) is pretty much the same.
Kou is introduced Takeru's childhood friend. He's not entirely useless as he has some skill with a powerful sword but his main role is serving as Takeru's inhibitor. The psychological and emotional comfort he brings her is enough for her to hold her own to remain sane despite fusing with a demonic arm.
The main reason why I liked this so much was because I was hoping for a budding relationship between Takeru and Kou. I always trip and fall for the childhood romance trope, which got me excited about the future relationship between the two.
The art is pretty awesome too. The fight scenes are detailed, the art style is nice, and the gore is not too over the top. I especially like how the artist drew Takeru and Fuura. Eye candy throughout the entire manga. There is also coloring for every page, so the blandness the comes with the black and white is not there.
I'd say this was worth it. A solid 7 in my book, and the coloring in the manga for all pages was a pretty big surprise. I'd say give it a shot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 16, 2014
The setting is about historical Japan and its reluctance of accepting foreigners to open up markets and trade possibilities for economic stability. Some don't mind the yellow haired barbarian monkey savages infringing on their land but others hate them. The titular Ichi is a blind swordswoman/goze who does odd jobs around the house and eventually gets involved in a political scheme with Japan's future on the line. That and she fights a battle against herself to overcome a past trauma.
As it was set during the days when some right wing samurai extremists did not take to the foreigners too kindly, there is a good
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bit of action to complement the historical accuracy. Feels like a history lesson really, with a few text bubbles showing the status quo of Japan's political and economic stability as well as major events that influenced change.
The art was outstanding, but my biggest gripe about it is that all of the important characters look the same. Some of Ichi's acquaintances got a good bit of characterization but I forget which long haired pretty boy it was. The art style had me a bit confused, so I recommend remembering the names of each characters so that you understand who did what and what is going on. Don't do what I did and read this with your brain turned off.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 31, 2013
So from what I take from this, KFC meets the president who faces off against Michael Jackson in the apocalyptic future.
Story: Get ready to get your mind screwed left right up and DOWN. The plot twists are insane. They don't even make sense BUT ITS SO AWESOME. Consider Fourteen Umezu Kazuo's twisted vision of the future, where humans have exhausted Earth's resources and progress through life through artificial means.You know shts hardcore if chicken can be grown in a bathtub. He emphasizes the consequences of human interference with nature and concludes that if we don't stop killing trees now, we're dead.
The story explores various philosophical
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and (pseudo) scientific concepts such as love, immortality, individuality, evolution, aliens; the list just goes on. Add a bit of Umezu Kazuo in there and you get things blown out of proportion. Literally, you cannot help but stop and THINK about what this guy was sniffing and how you could get some of it. It's not necessarily bad per se, its just that its so over the top that whatever material you're presented with will hit you in the face multiple times and HARD.
Art: Quite frankly, it's decent at best. The artist does capture emotions of the characters well and does a good job of consistently maintaining a dark and heavy atmosphere but the art is just bad. Specifically, the style is outdated. Considering it was made in the 90's, I guess it was passable then but in today's standards, if one would flip to a random page of this manga to see its contents they would straight up close it and put it back on the shelf.
Character: Think of Chicken George as the representation of Umezu Kazuo's thoughts and feelings towards the people and businesses that contribute to environmental hazards; its a huge middle finger aiming for their tight butthole. He comes in the story saying "You guys are all going to die and theres nothing you can do about it." When the humans finally think they have a solution; "NOP." When they ask for his help "Come find me in my unfindable castle." He performs his role as a harbinger of doom well, until the author decides to incorporate love into the situation. You'll find that for the most part, Chicken George is probably the most relatable character in the story despite him being an antagonist to all humans.
Enjoyment/Overall: As crazy as the author's ideas were, they were all entertaining to say the least. It was nice to be exposed to someone else's apocalyptic vision of the future, and one as grand as this really broadened my perspective (for better or worse). The 260 chapter experience was worth it and I'd recommend this manga to anyone looking for alternatives on the world's end.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 16, 2013
STORY: The general feel for the manga felt like Law of Ueki or Shaman King. The simplicity of the plot, coupled with a consistent pacing of events, allowed little room for confusion. Few events seemed incongruous or sudden, and I found its emphasis on the action and its consequential development on the characters very appropriate. My only real complaint is the rushed ending; the final chapter could and should have been longer to adequately conclude the relationship between the main pair.
ART: Characters and backgrounds were light in color and the fight scenes, coupled with the use of super powers, were entertaining to look at. Character
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design matched the personalities of its corresponding character well, with the blonde cheerleader portrayed as supportive and energetic while the gloomy protagonist pessimistic and misanthropic. The exception would be Kai, as his muscular depiction contradicts his gentle temperament but that was intentional because he's often teased for that inconsistency, turning Kai into a comic relief character. To employ a darker mood, the mangaka distorts the expression of the characters and bolds their text panel, evoking a heavy and ominous atmosphere. In short, The aesthetics added to the experience and felt proper as a super power manga.
ENJOYMENT/CHARACTERS: To capitalize on enjoyment, one needs to employ a certain perspective before anything else. If you're going in there hoping for epic battles between good and evil Gods shaking the foundation of the Earth, then you're going to be disappointed. Rather, focus on the individual battles of the main pair and how that fight affects their relationship. The highlight of Popcorn Avatar is not the grand scale of battle but what kind of development every confrontation brings to the pairs. The manga begins with the protagonist contemplating suicide because of a past traumatic event. His cynical thoughts and parochial worldviews are exposed, and it was at this time his first battle occurs. With every fight, he encounters new enemies with differing motives; his outlook is enlarged and soon comes to encompass the views of others. His progression and growth from his isolationist principles were stressed, and that's where the reader should focus his or her attention.
CHARACTER: Another character I was very pleased with was Lisa the cheerleader. She wasn't a Damsel in distress nor a shallow, sexualized character. She was everything I wanted the protagonist to be. Strong, resolute, and wise she is the catalyst for the gradual change of her male counterpart. Her girly moments add to her appeal and just make her more likable.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Popcorn Avatar was a solid read. It was "Good" hence the 7. 29 chapters with an average of 35 pages per chapter, I read everything from start to finish in a day, and found myself pleasantly surprised by the manga overall.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 30, 2012
Imagine being able to buy your ideal lover with a few simple clicks of a mouse. That curvacious/muscular body, those beautiful (color) eyes, that wonderful hair; everything you look for in your fantasy lover is all there.
Would you be willing to buy one?
The story centers around a guy named Ying Bei. He is an art student, and has a romantic interest in a fellow art student named Yunyun but finds himself cohabiting with another girl he bought off the internet named JiuJiu. JiuJiu, as a product bought off the internet, lives only to satisfy the consumer who bought her, which in this case is
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Ying Bei.
What drew me to the story was the interaction between Ying Bei and Jiujiu. Jiujiu acts like she is a simple merchandise bought off the internet for the pleasure of the consumer who is Ying Bei, but Ying Bei insists on treating her like a human being. The contrast between how she was expected to be treated, and how she was actually treated made for some really heartwarming moments.
The story picks up the pace and the mood gets darker, especially evident with the coming of Jiujiu's merchandise friend, Zidie. I really like the turn of events; Other than seeing how bad it gets, I want to see how the entire situation gets resolved. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Ying Bei will do if placed in a predicament.
Ying Bei is a gentle, caring and quiet guy who suffers from a bit of low self esteem. He is very polite, and addresses his peers in a respectful manner. He generally keeps to himself, and the way he conducts himself makes him seem a lot more mature than other people his age. His compassionate and mature side is emphasized with the coming of Jiujiu into his life. Despite knowing that he could have taken complete advantage of Jiujiu as long as he was "happy," he treats her like a human being and endeavors for the both of them to mutually benefit from each other rather than making the relationship all about him.
Jiujiu is a girl that Ying Bei bought off the internet to cure his loneliness. She, and all the people like her, are referred to as "angels." So far, angels are commonly marked by hairstyles that gives the illusion of having wings on their heads, and the ability to grow wings on their back. Ying Bei wished for an energetic girl that would love him forever, and so he got Jiujiu; a cute, hyperactive, cheerful, playful, and loving angel who would dedicate her entire being to making Ying Bei happy.
The art makes the manhua look like it was drawn by a shoujo artist. The coloring is very light, especially appropriate in situations where the characters experience happiness and joy, accenting their emotions. I found all of the characters to be drawn beautifully, each of them serving as eye candy which further enhances the manhua's storytelling potential.
It's a good read. So go read it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 18, 2012
Moderator Edit: This review contains spoilers.
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Donnie Darko. Twelve Monkeys. Butterfly Effect. These movies all had a few things in common: time travel to the past in order to correct something in the future. For Donnie Darko, it was Donnie who always found himself in the past trying escape from the endless loop he was trapped in. For Twelve Monkeys, a convict was sent back in time to suppress an epidemic that would kill 99% of the human population in 2035. For Butterfly effect, it was for Ashton Kutcher to go back in time to fix his childhood so that he had a happier future.
For Ore
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ga Doutei o Sutetara Shinu Ken ni Tsuite, Ichijo Kazuya goes back in time to stop being a pimp.
Sounds a bit off, but let me explain. From the outset, my comparison between Donnie Darko, Twelve Monkeys, and Butterfly Effect and Ore ga Doutei o Sutetara Shinu Ken ni Tsuite may deem the latter as some sort of romance-comedy manga that does not deal with serious issues as the former. This isn't quite the case. Taken from the synopsis, Ichijo Kazuya was sent back in time because he was killed by his best friend, Masaki. He later comes to realize that he was killed because of Masaki's jealousy towards Kazuya's way with women, and the only way to fix that was if he made sure that Masaki was more popular with girls than Kazuya was in high school. So, an accurate representation of this manga would be "Kazuya goes back in time to prevent his death in the future."
This manga is interesting in that the main character, as a high school boy in his youth, is trying his best NOT to get the girls. What's even better is that he keeps meeting girls left and right. And the best part is, Masaki is there to witness all of Kazuya's encounter with those girls. You wouldn't think that he was trying his best to avoid them unless he kept reassuring Masaki that everything was a misunderstanding. Too bad he's not buying any of it.
The art is nothing to scoff at. Wakabayashi Yuusuke appears to be somewhat new in the manga industry, seeing as how this manga is his only work and how it was published in May of this year but his art is great. Good art with a variety of girls has my thumbs up.
Here is where people will love this or hate this manga. Kazuya is a player. So much that he goes back in time to stop being such a chick magnet. The norm nowadays for romance shounens is that the main character is either a loser or an average high schooler at best. We are introduced to a character who share none of the said traits. So either you will feel refreshed because the manga is introducing something new, or discomfort because this deviates from what we are so used to.
I found this read to be VERY enjoyable. With only four chapters released, there is room for even more improvement. I was so content with this manga that I read the entire thing twice. The art, and the general direction this manga is going is enough for me in wanting more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 8, 2012
Whenever people read or hear the words "Love Plus," they might think of a mathematical equation involving love. Okay that joke was bad and I feel bad.
Love Plus is a dating sim for the Nintendo DS. The player gets to choose between three characters; Nene Anegasaki, Rinko Kobayakawa, and Manaka Takane (first name, last name). As you can probably tell, this manga specifically focuses on Rinko.
We are introduced to our protagonist, Wataru Aikawa. He transfers to a new city and meets the heroine, Rinko. They keep bumping into each other, starting a chain of events that lead to the two being involved with one
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another. This wasn't my first time being exposed to such a development, so I kept my expectations low. It was a cliched setting, yes, but it ultimately satisfies the reader through its execution.
If you know about Kimi no Iru Machi (A town where you love) or Suzuka, then you probably know this guy. The wonderful artist that is Seo Kouji who is very skilled at drawing females took interest in Love Plus and applied his own unique style to it. At the very least, it is 11 chapters of eye candy.
I want to focus on the main heroine, Rinko. Rinko is the damsel in distress. She acts in an aloof manner, and prefers to be with herself rather than other people. "Damsel in Distress" is quite an appropriate term to describe her because she makes her appearance reading a book about princesses who get saved by princes. Her interactions with Wataru makes her grow as a person, with herself becoming more honest. The transition from an aloof and cool beauty to an awkward, honest person was very satisfying.
Love Plus: Rinko Days has 11 chapters and an average of about 27 pages each chapter.
Recommended for anyone who wants a good read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 30, 2011
17-Sai is a collection of four one shots packed together into one volume. Each story has its own hero and heroine, and none of the stories have any relation to the other.
Talking about each individual story is pointless. The pacing is the same throughout. After reading the manga, one may realize how the degree of development between the hero and the heroine of one chapter is not so different from the others. All of the chapters strictly follow one simple formula: Some problem arises, making the heroine distraught, and the hero always has impeccable timing to save the damsel in distress. And in the
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end, the problem is resolved.
The art is one of the strongest points of this manga. The "average" boy or girl depicted in this manga look like bishounens or bishoujos. One thing that may bother the reader is how some of the heros look like the other heros presented in previous chapters. This may allow for a slight bit of confusion, but the names and personality are the ultimate factors in differentiating between them so there shouldn't be any problems with figuring out who is who.
One thing to note about this manga is that each chapter forsakes realism for a good, happy conclusion. There were just so many ways things could have turned out differently, but the need for a happy ending seemed so prevalent in all chapters that some of the decisions made by the main characters seemed a bit forced. If the main characters made some realistic approaches to their relationships, it would have left a bittersweet taste but in exchange we would have understood and sympathized with them more.
In short, this manga is worth the time. Each chapter has an average of 60 pages, and I didn't regret reading those chapters. This is a pretty standard shoujo manga; it's not great but not totally bad either. This manga would not be the first on the list to recommend to others if they had something they wanted to read, but it makes for a nice way to pass time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 29, 2010
Okay honestly, there really isnt much to talk about this manga.Its short, its sweet, and its sexy. Literally.
Story is about a salaryman who enjoys looking at butts at the train station, and a girl who he particularly likes crashes into him and breaks his arm, taking care of him. During that time, she falls in love, blah blah blah, weve all heard of that before havent w?
Art is superb. Its good. I like it. We all like it.
The woman is perverted. The guy is perverted. That is all we are looking for in this manga.
I read this all with a -.- look on
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my face. Not saying its bad, its just short
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 10, 2010
Taguchi Masayuki, the author of the hit Battle Royale, takes us into a world of lush, verdant vegetation and........ monsters. Big, Bad, nasty, hungry, monsters. How do we get there? You have to get hit by a meteor.
The story was VERY PROMISING in the beginning. Without spoiling too much, the story is about an alternate world (mainly a rain forest) where humans turn into monsters and eat each other. The main characters are just trying their best to survive.
The story is divided into three separate arcs. The first arc is the "present," where the heroine gets transported into the alternate world and meets the
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new hero protagonist. The Second arc is the "past," where we are presented with the events that happened before the heroine met the hero. The third arc is back into the "present," continuing off where the hero and the heroine meet.
I found the story to be very enjoyable to read, but also very depressing. This isnt one of those happy go lucky - alls - well - that - ends - well manga. The manga delivers a deep philosophical message about.... redemption. How one can redeem him/herself if he or she has done something regrettable. How its not too late to atone for your mistakes.
The worst thing about the story has got to be the ending. The ending was WAAAAAAY too rushed. Just when we though we were answering some questions, the manga gives us new ones and just leave us unsatisfied. They also dont tell us what happened to the main characters. What happened? Where are they now? Did they die? Are they okay? These sort of questions popped into my mind at the end of the series.
Nonetheless, it was a very good read and I enjoyed every second of it.
The art is very well drawn. Its graphic and gory, getting down to the details of the organs and such. The women all look beautiful, the men look (normal), and the monsters look hideous and cool. Perfect style for this type of manga.
I found most of the characters to be likable. Even though I loved all of them (even the bad ones), I want to focus on the main protagonist, Shinma Shingo. Shinma Shingo is a happy go lucky eccentric guy who hates fighting, even though he is good at it. He teaches others what his master has taught him, giving others hope when they're in the pits of despair. Hes funny, gentle, and good looking (even though he's bald). Shingo has to be my most favorite character.
Character development can be found throughout this series. Because of Shingo and his teachings from his master, other characters such as Ma boy had the strength to stand up for himself and look at himself in a new light. Not just Ma boy, but others as well.
I enjoyed this manga thoroughly. I recommend it to anyone who is into gore and touchy feel (lol). This manga is only 10 chapters so it will probably take around 15 ~ 20 minutes to read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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