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Book Club - by Suhaili

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Book Club - July 2009

Groove Adventure Rave manga review

July 31st 2009 12:47

Groove Adventure Rave is a manga created by Hiro Mashima. This anime is also adapted into anime by Studio DEEN.

Groove Adventure Rave, Rave Master, manga, cover

Genres: action, adventure, comedy, fantasy, romance

Themes: Journeys, Magic Artifacts, Sword Fighting

Age rating: Older Children (May contain mild bad language, bloodless violence)

Synopsis: Haru is a teenage boy. After catching an odd, dog-looking... thing... while fishing, he finds out about the power of the Rave Stone, and receives a sword called the ten commandments. He leaves his older sister, and begins his journey to find the other rave stones. Along the way, he meets Elie, a rather hyper girl with no memory of anything beyond a year.

Source: Anime News Network

Comment:

Let me just be honest with you about Rave (since Groove Adventure Rave seems very long to me, let's stick with Rave). If you're planning to watch the anime, screw it. It's not because the anime quality is crappy. It's just that the anime just ends in the middle of the manga storyline. Obviously when you watched the last episode, you might expect there's a second season which is sadly to say that there's no second season for Rave. This is my main reason I've submitted myself to read the manga instead because I may have tell you (or may not) that I'm curious by nature. So yeah, go and get yourself the manga instead of watching the anime.

Okay, I'll stop with my anime rant and let's move on with the storyline. As far as it's concerned, the storyline is nicely explain even though there are a lot of mysteries involved with the stone called Rave. This is truly typical for any manga that has magic stone as the main plot. Well, combined with Elie's reaction when something triggered her memory, the story is getting interesting. Unfortunately, great storyline comes with compensations. Love it or hate it, there are quite a few deaths involved here. The deaths can be in any form whether that person was defeated by Haru or that person was just sacrificing for Haru or Elie's sake. Of course I won't tell you who died in this manga so if you don't like the idea of switching from happy moment to sad moment, then honestly ditch this manga. No offense to those who love this manga but if you don't like the idea, I'm seriously asking you to ditch the manga. Surprisingly enough, I could actually guess it right for who is really Elie. Kudos to me since I never thought that I could guess correctly for shonen manga. I think this is the only shonen manga where I could predict the storyline correctly.

As you read through, you will notice that the bad people who used to fight Haru will end up allying with him instead of fighting against him. Yeah, it sounds really funny even the most strongest and cruelest person, Lucia wasn't really that evil. Of course, evil people supposed to remain evil but it feels like the evil people chose to repent at the end in Rave's case.

As for the artwork, I don't get it why people got easily confused Rave or Fairytale with Eichiro Oda's (One Piece mangaka) artwork. Yes, I'm also familiar with Eichiro Oda's artwork style but at first glance it's obviously different. I know it's funny but I can't helped it that people got easily confused with his art style. Speaking of art style, the drawing style improved as the story continued. This is a good thing since the early style looks odd to me. Kudos to Hiro Mashima for dramatically improved his artwork. Take a look at the difference here:

Before

Groove Adventure Rave, Rave Master, manga, scan

After

Overall, this manga has a good art with great storyline but there are always sad moments. If you really want manga fulls with happy moment and without deaths involved this manga is not for you. Give this manga a try since this is an early manga by Hiro Mashima.

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Posted By: Suhaili - Category: Fantasy

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Yakitate!! Japan manga review

July 24th 2009 05:14

Yakitate!! Japan is a manga created by Hashiguchi Takahashi. This manga is also adapted into anime. You can read Yakitate!! Japan anime review here.

Genres: action, comedy

Theme: cooking

Synopsis: Azuma Kazuma, an energetic and dense young man, was introduced to the art of bread making when he was six. He decides to take the path of bread-making and become a baker right after graduating from middle school. Through his travels, he encounters many rivals and found work at the branch store of the most famous bread maker brand, the Pantasia.

Source: Anime News Network

Comment:

Well, as much as the storyline is concerned, I find that the storyline is very straightforward so you can understand the whole plot at a glimpse when you read this manga for the first few chapters. Yes, it's hilarious to hear Azuma is calling whatever bread he has created with Japan no. (insert the number here) even though the bread is obviously common to us such as croissant. With his dense attitude, this manga is truly enjoyable to read.

Now, if you have watched cooking-based anime such as Cooking Master Boy, you would expect the same thing in Yakitate! Japan. This is absolutely true because this manga also reveals the baking techniques that Azuma used. Initially, the story is all about the typical bread that we know but as the plot expanded, there will be more unique looking breads as the story progressed. If you're worried that the manga is boring because it only shows you the typical normal bread you've seen in the bakery, fear not because those unique-looking breads will fill your imagination.....and at the same time will make you feel hungry! I have to admit that the reaction shown whenever someone eats the bread can be over-exaggerating, but I think this is normal for this kind of manga to produce that kind of reaction. Those reactions are weird but it's actually giving you clue about the bread itself.

Since this manga is also adapted into an anime, I can only say that most of the storyline follows exactly like the manga but the only difference is that the anime has skipped the a few later chapters so you'll missed a little bit of fun here. It's worth watching the anime but if you love explicit content (not much actually), you can always read the manga to spice things up. What kind of explicit content is something that I don't want to explain here so you can always check this manga yourself.

Finally, the artwork. The artwork is amazingly neat with the nice panels and there are also a self-explanatory of certain jargon somewhere near the panel, I can only say that it's pleasant to my eyes. Take a look at yourself here:

Overall, I love this manga because this manga really expands my knowledge about bread generally (since I don't know the name for the breads I've seen). Besides that, there is also an explanation on how you can make a bread using a rice cooker and most importantly, this manga has a very good and easy to understand a storyline. I have to warn you that you need to read this manga after you had a very heavy meal. Otherwise, you'll wet your mouth because the breads are really appetizing XD.

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Posted By: Suhaili - Category: Comedy

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Getbackers manga review

July 16th 2009 05:38

Getbackers is a manga created by Yuya Aoki and Rando Ayamine. This manga is also adapted to anime by Studio DEEN.

Genres: action, adventure, comedy

Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)

Synopsis: Ban Mido and Ginji Amano are a recovery duo infamously known as "GetBackers." Ban possesses two special powers: the "Snake Bite" (his hands have a gripping power of 200kg) and the "Evil Eye" (anyone who looks into his eyes will be locked into a powerful and nightmarish hallucination). Ginji, on the other hand, has the ability to generate thousands of volts of electricity from his body. Together, they run a freelance business of recovering anything lost or stolen from a client - and they claim a 100% success rate at their job.

Source: Anime News Network

Comment:

From the synopsis, you might be thinking that all of the things they have recovered from their clients must be something totally normal. My answer for this is absolutely wrong. If that's what you had in mind about this manga, then it's better for you to take a look at this manga in depth. Keep reading to get what I mean.

The manga starts off with a brief introduction on who they are and what kind of power they have, not to mention what kind of assignments they're given. This kind of storyline will definitely give you the underground and illegal business kind of feeling so you can expect that brutal fight will be involved. Of course anything related with underground business will always have this kind of nasty fight. That was at the beginning of the manga which what I would refer to the first few volumes of the manga.

But as the story progressed, pasts about each of them will reveal little by little starting with Ginji since in the later plot, you'll be introduced with people who used to be with him in the past. Ban's past is also related with Ginji but it was only revealed when the manga is reaching the end. Besides that, the assignments which are given to them are not only involved them but also people who they have met along the way. It's more like having cooperation to complete the assignment. Not just that, the assignment also has become a lot more difficult but also longer to complete so you can expect that it requires a few volumes to complete the assignment. Again, the storyline has become a lot more complicated as the story progressed and intense as well so the later chapters requires you to give full attention and it's easy to get lost if you miss a few chapters.

Now, the fun part is the artwork of this manga. When I take a look at the manga's artwork in the early days and in the later chapter, you will notice a huge difference there. In the early days, Ginji really does looks like a young boy but in the later chapter, you will notice that his look has changed. I've no idea what the mangaka had in mind but I do believe that there is always changes in art style. Not that I'm complaining Ginji looks horrible in the later chapters but I love the artwork in the later chapters a lot more than the initial style. Don't believe me? Take a look at it yourself here:

This is Ginji (in case you're wondering which one is Ginji, it's the guy with short blond hair) in the early days of Getbackers:

And this is Ginji in the later chapter:

So, do you spot the difference here?

Overall, Getbackers may look like a typical shonen manga where this kind of job is always involved with the underground business but as the story progressed, it doesn't look like anymore. The storyline has become a lot more intense in the later chapter so if you're looking for manga with intense storyline, this is the manga for you.

Personally, I love this manga a lot not just because of the storyline but also the artwork as I find the artwork of this manga is so delicate. Read this manga if you want to see the artwork for yourself.

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Gash Bell manga review

July 8th 2009 10:36

Gash Bell is a manga created by Raiku Makoto. The manga is also adapted into an anime.

Genres: action, comedy

Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)

Synopsis: Genius middle schooler Takamine Kiyomaro has an apathetic attitude towards life and is an outsider at his school. One day, Kiyomaro meets a mysterious boy called Gash Bell: Gash was found unconscious out in the woods of England by Kiyomaro's father, and has lost all his memory. The only clue to Gash's identity is the red book he was carrying when he was found, but it contains letters no one can seem to decipher. However, when Kiyomaro looks through the book, he notices that there is one word he can read, and when he does, thunder comes out of Gash's mouth. It turns out Gash is a mamono (“monster”) boy from "makai" ("demon world"), and that he has been sent to the human world along with 99 other monster children to fight out a battle for who will be the next king of "makai". All the monster children have their own books, which will enable them to use magic when they find the right humans to read them. Monster children keep coming to Gash and Kiyomaro to beat them.

Source: Anime News Network

Comment:

I'm reading this manga because as usual, a recommendation from my cousin. I must say that this is the only manga that I've read that has a very touching storyline most of the time. Okay, I'll explain to you about this later. The storyline can be be a bit confusing at first and boring at the same time. As Kiyomaro discover about Gash even more, the storyline has become a lot more interesting as there are a lot of fights involved. Somehow, whenever we read a manga which involved lots of intense battle, of course if they lose it doesn't really affect us that much because this is the game. However, in this manga, this is when the touching moments came into the storyline. Most of the enemies that Gash has encountered are really craving to be the king so the battles are really brutal. But along the way, there are some mamono who has become allies to them but they still have to fight because it's the rule of the game. The saddest part is they have to depart from Gash when their books are burnt into ashes. I really like how the mangaka portrayed the storyline where there are always allies withing the enemies. Obviously, I agree with this part because not all people are enemies.

Now, let's move on with the artwork. As much as I love the storyline, I don't fancy the artwork because it looks just plain weird to me. Gash maybe cute but apparently the artwork doesn't do justice to him. I feel like the artwork looks so....polygonal to me. But still, the artwork is still neat as usual but I still don't like the artwork. Take a look at yourself here if you're interested:

Overall, I really love this manga a lot because this manga portrayed a lot of life lesson we can learn which I find it kinda rare for this kind of manga. If you prefer moral with meaningful storyline despite if its artwork, then grab this manga. You don't need a box of tissue to wipe your tears because it's not as soapy as you thought but reading this manga will definitely touched your heart. So again, grab this manga if you're curious with what I say.

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