The Manga Thread
10-10-2016, 05:33 AM
#31
Registered User
Thread Starter
Currently reading Change 123 (HiFuMi) by Sakaguchi Iky. It is pretty good, however definitely NSFW. lol
Here is the synopsis
Okay, that last sentence is regarding the co-star of the manga, Kosukegawa. He is an avid Kamen Raider fan and uses the hero's sense of justice as his conscience. He's your everyday kid into video games, manga, and science fiction. He is also in love with Motoko, and the two have an interesting relationship, as he is fully aware of her multiple personalities. The story is pretty hilarious and actually does a pretty good job of giving each personality their very own identity. It's been a really good read so far but I still have a ways to go. I'll follow up with an overall review once I am finished. Although this manga must be read on my tablet, and not my work computer! A bit too graphic for work. haha
Here is the synopsis
Change 123, we meet Makoto, a girl with a very strange problem. In order to cope with her 3 adoptive fathers' incredibly intensive training methods, she developed multiple personalities, each with a different martial specialty. But what happens if none of them can beat her opponent on their own? And what further nugget of wisdom will be imparted by the great Kamen Raider?
10-12-2016, 04:06 AM
#32
Registered User
Thread Starter
Finished up Change 123. The ending was a bit too short though. I would have liked to see an ending where the other side characters are wrapped up as well, but this ending just focused on the two main characters. Overall though, it was a very satisfying read. The main theme here is strong female characters, even if displayed from a pervert's point of view. 
Next up, is Boys on the Run by Hanazawa Kengo, the same manga-ka hat did I am a Hero. Looking forward to that one as I enjoy Hanazawa's average joe characters and humor. This one actually involves a salary man that ends up joining a boxing gym, so I anticipate some good stuff.
Next up, is Boys on the Run by Hanazawa Kengo, the same manga-ka hat did I am a Hero. Looking forward to that one as I enjoy Hanazawa's average joe characters and humor. This one actually involves a salary man that ends up joining a boxing gym, so I anticipate some good stuff.
10-19-2016, 06:00 AM
#33
Registered User
Thread Starter
Finished up Boys on the Run and it was decent. Hanazawa likes to give his central characters a pathetic existence, but at the same time get's pussy thrown at them. Not much boxing at all in this. It's more of a layer to the narrative, and nothing central. Hanazawa finds his groove with the I am a Hero story. Even the beginning arc leading up to the zombie outbreak is better than the overall story in Boys on the Run.
Next up, I have been reading Sun Ken Rock by Boichi. It has actually been pretty good, or at least better than I anticipated. It's about Kitano Ken, and Japanese high school dropout who ends up following the girl he loves to Korea, a year after she left Japan. In Korea, he struggles to find work and eventually ends up leading a gang. The girl he pines for is a cop, so he keeps his status a secret from her as long as he can.
The manga definitely paints Ken as a bigger than life type of character. A man's man for sure. It also contains pretty graphic nudes and scenes, so definitely not something to read at work! (Unless on a personal tablet like I have to do
)
I am almost done with the manga and will read some of Boichi's other manga. One looks like it may be indirectly related to a character in Sun Ken Rock, and it's called Space Chef Caisar. I am on the final arc now and should finish it up in the next few days.
Not much boxing at all in this. It's more of a layer to the narrative, and nothing central. Hanazawa finds his groove with the I am a Hero story. Even the beginning arc leading up to the zombie outbreak is better than the overall story in Boys on the Run. Next up, I have been reading Sun Ken Rock by Boichi. It has actually been pretty good, or at least better than I anticipated. It's about Kitano Ken, and Japanese high school dropout who ends up following the girl he loves to Korea, a year after she left Japan. In Korea, he struggles to find work and eventually ends up leading a gang. The girl he pines for is a cop, so he keeps his status a secret from her as long as he can.
The manga definitely paints Ken as a bigger than life type of character. A man's man for sure. It also contains pretty graphic nudes and scenes, so definitely not something to read at work! (Unless on a personal tablet like I have to do
)I am almost done with the manga and will read some of Boichi's other manga. One looks like it may be indirectly related to a character in Sun Ken Rock, and it's called Space Chef Caisar. I am on the final arc now and should finish it up in the next few days.
10-21-2016, 04:18 AM
#34
Registered User
Thread Starter
Got done with Sun Ken Rock yesterday. It was pretty good, but the final arc/ending was just too convenient and covered a span of 9 or so years in like 31 pages of manga. I don't know if there are plans to give a more detailed epilogue as another reader commented on the site I read, but I haven't been able to verify that either. The overall manga was pretty entertaining with tons of fights and gangster life, and lots of sex/sexual scenes. Artwork was good too. Boichi uses the technique of photo capturing scenes and drawing over them. This occurred mostly for scenery and occasionally with action scenes. This was my first manga that dealt with most of the setting and culture of Korea, so it did have a slightly different feel than what I'm used too. Typically, I have been averse to reading Korean manga/manhwa, but since the series is a Japanese one I gave it shot. One of these days I'll get over my bias for Japanese manga, and venture into the Chinese and Korean artists as well.
However, as far as gangster manga goes, Sun Ken Rock is still levels below Sanctuary, which is a masterpiece IMO. So if you've read Buronson's work, Sun Ken Rock may seem less impressive.
Next up, I decided to get into Eyeshield 21 as I have read reviews that it is very funny and may be one of the best Jump manga released. I had never heard of it until a week ago, and so far it has been pretty hilarious. For those that haven't heard of Eyeshield 21, here is the synopsis:
However, as far as gangster manga goes, Sun Ken Rock is still levels below Sanctuary, which is a masterpiece IMO. So if you've read Buronson's work, Sun Ken Rock may seem less impressive.
Next up, I decided to get into Eyeshield 21 as I have read reviews that it is very funny and may be one of the best Jump manga released. I had never heard of it until a week ago, and so far it has been pretty hilarious. For those that haven't heard of Eyeshield 21, here is the synopsis:
Kobayakawa Sena is a freshman in highschool. Despite his previous decisions to change his life, he finds himself in the exactly same place he was in during elementary school and junior high: a push over and an errand boy. However, this changes when Hiruma, the most feared person in his school and president of the American Football Club, notices Sena and forces him to join the Football Team. Now Sena will become Eyeshield 21, a mysterious running back with lighting fast speed.
11-07-2016, 04:20 AM
#35
Registered User
Thread Starter
Finished this past weekend and it was enjoyable. It's funny to read the Japanese take on American football. The way it describes plays and even the scoring was interesting. I asked my buddy who lived in Japan as a teacher for a few years about these football clubs, and he confirmed that they do have them. They're just not as popular as their other sports, which I assumed was the case.
I did enjoy the manga though. I just wished Sena would have tried to beef up like Shin, and train to be strong too. He got marginally stronger early in the story, but never really increased over that. Kumisubo was pretty funny too. Can only speak in powerful man words.
I thought after reading that it would be pretty cool to see a Japanese player get strong enough and big enough to make it in the NFL. Whoever did that, would be a megastar in Japan I'd imagine.
I did enjoy the manga though. I just wished Sena would have tried to beef up like Shin, and train to be strong too. He got marginally stronger early in the story, but never really increased over that. Kumisubo was pretty funny too. Can only speak in powerful man words.
I thought after reading that it would be pretty cool to see a Japanese player get strong enough and big enough to make it in the NFL. Whoever did that, would be a megastar in Japan I'd imagine.
__________________
12-15-2016, 04:51 AM
#36
Registered User
Thread Starter
Been a while since I last updated this.
Got completely caught up with Magi, and it was excellent. The story arcs are really good and I am digging the influence of Persian lore in the story. Alibaba is a great character and is hilarious. Sinbad is awesome too and since I finished Magi, I started up Magi - Sinbad no Bouken (follows the origin and adventures of Sinbad before he was a king). The use of dungeons and djinns is really cool. The plots in Magi are highly entertaining and kind of makes you think about the afterlife a bit, or returning to the Great Flow. Funny enough, I kind of give some credence to this theory as it is somewhat based on the Gaia theory. Overall, I would highly recommend Magi to you readers. It is a really great read and up with there with other epic mangas like One Piece, Fairy Tale, and Naruto.
Got completely caught up with Magi, and it was excellent. The story arcs are really good and I am digging the influence of Persian lore in the story. Alibaba is a great character and is hilarious. Sinbad is awesome too and since I finished Magi, I started up Magi - Sinbad no Bouken (follows the origin and adventures of Sinbad before he was a king). The use of dungeons and djinns is really cool. The plots in Magi are highly entertaining and kind of makes you think about the afterlife a bit, or returning to the Great Flow. Funny enough, I kind of give some credence to this theory as it is somewhat based on the Gaia theory. Overall, I would highly recommend Magi to you readers. It is a really great read and up with there with other epic mangas like One Piece, Fairy Tale, and Naruto.
12-20-2016, 04:22 AM
#37
Registered User
Thread Starter
Finished up Magi - Sinbad no Bouken, and it was just picking up steam for another arc before it ended! Well, the series is current and on going, so I'll just have to wait for a while for more uploads. The story following Sinbad is really good, and it makes you a fan of Sinbad again. In Magi, the timeline is much further along and Sinbad kind of crosses the threshold from being a hero to a villain. So you begin to dislike Sinbad later in Magi, although there may be some type of formal retribution anticipated since he was always such a good person to begin with. For this origin story, it has been really cool to see how Sinbad came up in the world, became powerful and how he met and allied the Eight Generals. Seeing their past and how they all came together is great too. I really want to watch the anime for both of these now, so time to hunt those down!
The next manga I started is Gintama by Sorachi Hideaki. And man, is it freaking hilarious! I did start this series about 6 months ago, but didn't read past the 1st chapter because I was still in the mood for something more action oriented and serious. Now that I am in the mood for some comedy, Gintama has been great so far! The comedy is awesome and the silliness just fits. I like Sorachi's style and dig how this manga breaks the 4th wall to suit the comedy. There is a word in Japanese for this type of genre, but it escapes me at the moment. If it is similar to anything, I would say it is similar to the type of comedy in Kung Fu Hustle, just Japanese style.
This manga would probably make for a hilarious anime as well. The characters are just great and I can't get enough of them! Here's the synopsis for those interested in some samurai/alien/action/comedy/sci-fi:
The next manga I started is Gintama by Sorachi Hideaki. And man, is it freaking hilarious! I did start this series about 6 months ago, but didn't read past the 1st chapter because I was still in the mood for something more action oriented and serious. Now that I am in the mood for some comedy, Gintama has been great so far! The comedy is awesome and the silliness just fits. I like Sorachi's style and dig how this manga breaks the 4th wall to suit the comedy. There is a word in Japanese for this type of genre, but it escapes me at the moment. If it is similar to anything, I would say it is similar to the type of comedy in Kung Fu Hustle, just Japanese style.
This manga would probably make for a hilarious anime as well. The characters are just great and I can't get enough of them! Here's the synopsis for those interested in some samurai/alien/action/comedy/sci-fi:
The story focuses on eccentric samurai, Gintoki Sakata, his (partial) apprentice Shinpachi Shimura, and a teenage alien girl who's from one of the strongest races in all existence: Kagura. All three are "free-lancers" that search for work in order to pay the monthly rent, which usually goes unpaid anyway. The story takes place in the Edo period, but instead of the Europeans invading in the late 1860's, they're invaded by aliens, which the call Amanto.
01-26-2017, 11:38 AM
#38
Registered User
Thread Starter
Hey guys, been pretty long since I last posted, or at least it's felt that way!
I have been reading Gintama by Sorochi Hideaki. It's been pretty funny and has good action, but the Jiraia arc (starts around chapter 255) has actually been very good. It got away from the pure comedy for a few chapters and became a bit serious, but was actually done very well. Gintoki shows a little bit of his past and how he came to be such a formidable swordsman. Great flashbacks here and good fights. I still got about 400 chapters to go to catch up to current. Just wanted to give a quick update!
I have been reading Gintama by Sorochi Hideaki. It's been pretty funny and has good action, but the Jiraia arc (starts around chapter 255) has actually been very good. It got away from the pure comedy for a few chapters and became a bit serious, but was actually done very well. Gintoki shows a little bit of his past and how he came to be such a formidable swordsman. Great flashbacks here and good fights. I still got about 400 chapters to go to catch up to current. Just wanted to give a quick update!
01-24-2018, 05:55 AM
#39
Registered User
Thread Starter
Hey guys, it's been a while!
came across mangaka Kaneshiro Muneyuki's work over the weekend, and I really like his work with illustrator Fujimura Akeji. Their most popular work is the Kamisama no Iutoori series (As the Gods Will), which I am just starting on. But I did read through their two newer mangas, 0 -zero- and Grashros. Both are immediately excellent and I really can't wait for the stories to continue. There are only 4 chapters of each, but they were both extremely well done.
0-zero-
[img][/img]
Humanity had to flee Earth and venture into space to save itself. When five children awaken on their ship, they find they are all that remain....
This story has a great philosophical angle of reality. Only 4 chapters but was very engrossing.
Grashros
A story set 30,000 years ago, in the time of the Cro-Magnon. This one is also only 4 chapters in, but it is such a great intro and story. The setting is fascinating and I just want more!
I plan on reading all of their work next, starting with the Kamisama no Iutoori series first. Then Billion Dogs and Jagaaaaaan. Boku-tachi ga Yarima****a also sounds really good, and is a slice of life manga.
came across mangaka Kaneshiro Muneyuki's work over the weekend, and I really like his work with illustrator Fujimura Akeji. Their most popular work is the Kamisama no Iutoori series (As the Gods Will), which I am just starting on. But I did read through their two newer mangas, 0 -zero- and Grashros. Both are immediately excellent and I really can't wait for the stories to continue. There are only 4 chapters of each, but they were both extremely well done.
0-zero-
[img][/img]
Humanity had to flee Earth and venture into space to save itself. When five children awaken on their ship, they find they are all that remain....
This story has a great philosophical angle of reality. Only 4 chapters but was very engrossing.
Grashros
A story set 30,000 years ago, in the time of the Cro-Magnon. This one is also only 4 chapters in, but it is such a great intro and story. The setting is fascinating and I just want more!
I plan on reading all of their work next, starting with the Kamisama no Iutoori series first. Then Billion Dogs and Jagaaaaaan. Boku-tachi ga Yarima****a also sounds really good, and is a slice of life manga.
01-24-2018, 05:55 AM
#40
Registered User
Thread Starter
Finished up the 21 chapters of Kamisama no Iutoori, which ended abruptly. But it turns out it ended because the mangaka switched magazines. The first story was in a monthly magazine, and the new story Kamisama no Iutoori II is in a weekly magazine. It's a whole new story that takes place at the same time as the first story.
I really enjoyed the first story, Kamisama no Iutoori. It was pretty entertaining, funny, and ****ed up all at the same time. One of the funniest things about the first story is Ikuko, which I guess translates to a girl about to cum. She is an announcer for the games at the end, so everything she says is twinged with Ahhh! and the like. Funny **** guys.
Now I am starting the sequel, which looks to run the full course and is about 182 chapters long. The first ride was fun, now looking forward to this next one!
Edit:
Just a quick update, Kamisama no Iutoori II is really damn good. Better than the first for sure. The quality elevated when the manga jumped from the monthly magazine to the weekly magazine. Also, there is a connection to the 0 -zero- manga, so I would recommend either reading it before you read both, or after Kamisama no Iutoori, and before you read Kamisama no Iutoori II. Some really great reads here guys!
I really enjoyed the first story, Kamisama no Iutoori. It was pretty entertaining, funny, and ****ed up all at the same time. One of the funniest things about the first story is Ikuko, which I guess translates to a girl about to cum. She is an announcer for the games at the end, so everything she says is twinged with Ahhh! and the like.
Funny **** guys.Now I am starting the sequel, which looks to run the full course and is about 182 chapters long. The first ride was fun, now looking forward to this next one!
Edit:
Just a quick update, Kamisama no Iutoori II is really damn good. Better than the first for sure. The quality elevated when the manga jumped from the monthly magazine to the weekly magazine. Also, there is a connection to the 0 -zero- manga, so I would recommend either reading it before you read both, or after Kamisama no Iutoori, and before you read Kamisama no Iutoori II. Some really great reads here guys!