Maybe I’m too old for this kind of graphic novels, but the story had no interesting twists to offer and its only saving grace was the art. I mean, it’Maybe I’m too old for this kind of graphic novels, but the story had no interesting twists to offer and its only saving grace was the art. I mean, it’s cool to look at, but if a hard boiled detective story has no surprises for you, it means trouble. What I enjoyed the most was the character types - the expressive art of Tim Sale made everyone look very distinct. So, again, it looked great but read boring. ...more
Perhaps, if I was being subjective, I'd rate "Akira" lower. For me, it was too much action and too little substance. I lacked drama, I lacked some morPerhaps, if I was being subjective, I'd rate "Akira" lower. For me, it was too much action and too little substance. I lacked drama, I lacked some more intricate character dynamics. As it is, it's pretty flat and dire, save for the cool idea in the core of it, which I won't be giving away. I did like Kaneda, Tetsuo, Kei, the general and all the key players, I just wish I got to know them better. But where "Akira" truly shines is the awesome, and I mean AWESOME art. The character design, the setting design, mechanical design... and the action! Oh, my! I was reading the books at a sluggish pace at first because I kept getting lost in the art -- just perusing it is a blissful experience. So there. Even if the story left me cold, I think the art makes up for it in heaps. Reading the books, I couldn't help but see how influential it was and how much manga, anime and video games borrowed from it. All in all, it deserves its reputation. Go read it...more
What I know about the manga is that it was Tezuka's answer to the more mature gekiga as opposed to his more cutesy output. Maybe this is why it seems What I know about the manga is that it was Tezuka's answer to the more mature gekiga as opposed to his more cutesy output. Maybe this is why it seems like it lacked depth -- it was about "look what I can do!" from the very beginning, and not about an interesting story or complex characters. Yuki is mildly amusing, but I was soon tired of how vile and deprived he is. Maybe if Tezuka escalated his crimes and showed how father Garai discovers how evil his lover truly is throughout the story, instead of Yuki killing a child and that girl he injected with venom for the sake of, let's say, a heightened sexual experience at the very beginning. Will all the cards laying in the open it was a pretty boring experience. Not my favorite Tezuka for sure. PS: I wonder if Yuki was a reference to Yukio Mishima ...more
Of course, The Running Man is secondary to dystopian classics like Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, but it's still a vicious, fast-paced thriller that may mOf course, The Running Man is secondary to dystopian classics like Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, but it's still a vicious, fast-paced thriller that may make a few people think a bit. I mean, lots of stuff in the novel came true, like the fixation or reality shows, the steady deterioration of environment and the rise of monstrous corporations etc. My only real qualm is that the writing is sloppy at times -- the novel would clearly benefit from an editorial comb, as cars hit walls and explode twice, Richards mysteriously gets a watch and just as mysteriously loses it later on... one could ignore this stuff if it wasn't crucial. So yeah, it shows that King finished it in a week or so. Nonetheless, it's vastly superior to the stupid blockbuster it was made into. The Ahnie vehicle is stupid fun, sure, Faltermeyer's score is superb and I love Schwarzi, he's my childhood hero and all, but having read the book and rewatched the flick and couldn't but shake my head at how cynical Hollywood is. All in all, if you hated the movie there's a good chance you might appreciate the novel waaay better....more
This is the best work of Tezuka that I've read so far. Once again, just like "MW" was an answer to gekiga, "Dororo" is considered to be his answer to This is the best work of Tezuka that I've read so far. Once again, just like "MW" was an answer to gekiga, "Dororo" is considered to be his answer to Shigeru Mizuki's "Gegege no Kitaro," but, unlike "MW", "Dororo" has a lot of going for it. The stories are amusing, the characters are endearing and I found myself deeply caring about their fates. The only thing I wish was done better is for Tezuka to have more space to end his story. The adventures are cool and each encounter with a yokai is imaginative, but given how the whole novel is made up of shorter stories, the ending seemed a bit ubrupt. Still, even is the ending is a bit of a bummer, the ride was well worth it. On top of everything, it was really cool to see where Haohmaru ("Samurai Shodown") and the Wolf ("Sekiro") stem from....more
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