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When people hear the name Hiro Mashima today, they instantly think of his most recent work, Fairy Tail, which is steadily growing in popularity since its debut in 2006. However, its clearly easy to see where Fairy Tail's roots come from when one decides to undertake his previous, massive shounen story, Groove Adventure Rave. The anime adaptation of Groove Adventure Rave, named Rave Master, suffered considerably because of character designs that were not consistent with the manga counterpart, and because the anime adaptation covered only the first 90 chapters or so, leaving many unanswered questions and open plot holes. Groove Adventure Rave
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is a story that is unbelievably shounen, through and through. However, despite obvious plot twists and predictable characters, it still does not take away on what turns out to be a highly enjoyable read about a teenager's coming of age journey to save the world.
Haru Glory, Rave's shounen hero, is a young teenager living away from civilization with his sister on Garage Island. One day, an old man happens to pass through the Island and Haru eventually learns the identity of this old man is none other than the Rave Master, a hero that is destined to save the world from the atrocious organization, Demon Card, who plan on ruling the world. The old man, in poor health, eventually passes on his title and sword to Haru, entrusting him to find the Rave Stones to stop Demon Card. And thus Haru, becomes the 2nd Rave Master. Early on in his journey, Haru meets a young girl, Elie, who has amnesia and is seeking the truth about her past. This fateful meeting will eventually trigger events that become the foundation that eventually shakes the world.
From this synopsis, any reader familiar with shounen stories can get a sense of what kind of adventures, pitfalls, powers, themes, etc., Haru and Elie will encounter in their journey, and without fail, Mashima utilizes all of them. The sudden power ups, the talk about dreams overpowering thirst for power, friendship overcoming critical death status, so on and so forth. Groove Adventure Rave has all these shounen plot elements and in today's standards, the story starts to get pretty predictable as to what will occur. Fortunately, there are a few plot twists that occur deep in the story which some readers will be surprised to learn about, and it are those saving graces which help keep the reader entertained.
Readers familiar with and fans of the art in Fairy Tail will easily come to love the art Mashima utilizes in Rave because its the same exact style. While not as refined in the early chapters, Mashima designs his character rather attractively, the men with defined muscles and distinct faces; the women with heavenly chests and attractively looking figures. The battles are rather easy to follow, however, there are some instances where things tend to get a bit cluttered. The only critique I do have with his art is that Mashima does sacrifice detail in the background. This is especially apparent during battles, where the background will either be plain white or black. But again, this isn't too bad, as it does make the battles easier to follow.
While the characters look attractive, their personalities are rather predictable. Meaning, Haru is your typical shounen male lead; Elie is your typical female co-lead, and the same with all of the other characters Mashima introduces. They are nothing you haven't seen before, both good and evil. On the other hand, Mashima is able to adequately tell the history's of each of his characters without taking up too many pages or chapters, which is a nice change of pace from other stories where character past's are either too long or too short. Though character personalities really don't undergo a drastic overhaul from start to finish, all of the main heroes do evolve in a sense where you'll be able to pinpoint the difference from when a character was first introduced and where that character is during the last chapters.
Despite Groove Adventure Rave being the poster child for all things shounen, there is something about the story and the way Mashima goes about storytelling that makes it all seem enjoyable. You actually start caring for what happens to Haru and Elie, and watch in awe as their relationship develops from acquaintances to love throughout the plot. Mashima introduces a plethora of different characters that help shape all of the different arcs, and despite the length of the story, with the exception of a few gag chapters inserted in between, you never get the sense that Mashima doesn't know where he's going with the story. Although the story does go from point A to point B without much deviation, it's still an enjoyable read.
One of the big knocks I do have is the fact that almost every evil character, after being defeated, will undergo an instantaneous change from evil to good, which gets to be really old, really quick.
After reading Groove Adventure Rave, its easy to see where many of the ideas, character and guild names arise in Fairy Tail. All in all, if you're looking for a lengthy shounen, "coming of age" journey of a young man, with a nice side of romance, Groove Adventure Rave is something you'll definitely want to check out.
 Alternative TitlesSynonyms: Rave: The Groove Adventure Japanese: RAVE More titlesInformationType: Manga
Volumes: 35
Chapters: 298
Status: Finished
Published: Jul 7, 1999 to Jul 27, 2005
Demographic:
Shounen
Serialization:
Shounen Magazine (Weekly) Authors:
Mashima, Hiro (Story & Art) Statistics Ranked: #11892 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #338
Members: 51,582
Favorites: 2,102 Available AtResources | Reviews
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Jun 26, 2009
When people hear the name Hiro Mashima today, they instantly think of his most recent work, Fairy Tail, which is steadily growing in popularity since its debut in 2006. However, its clearly easy to see where Fairy Tail's roots come from when one decides to undertake his previous, massive shounen story, Groove Adventure Rave. The anime adaptation of Groove Adventure Rave, named Rave Master, suffered considerably because of character designs that were not consistent with the manga counterpart, and because the anime adaptation covered only the first 90 chapters or so, leaving many unanswered questions and open plot holes. Groove Adventure Rave
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Feb 8, 2008
Story: At first I didn't think the story was originial. It's mainly about a guy who is destined to save the world, and he's given a sword and travels around in search of something (in this case Rave stones) in order to save the world. But when I began to read Groov Master Rave aka Rave Master, it captivated me. The story may not be original but there's a spice to the series that makes me love it. But what Haru (main character) does on his journey (the friends and enemies he meets, the obstacles he faces, the story twists) are all original and are
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Jul 12, 2010
Groove adventure rave is a rather unique manga. The story is quiet simple and usual, but after some point(where the anime series ends) the storyline becomes better and better. The art is wonderfull, both with unsual creatures and great characters. I recomment this manga to all manga lovers and to all who finished the anime.
Dec 4, 2013
Today, I am going to write a review on Groove Adventure Rave, otherwise known as Rave Master. I am going to try a different format today. We will dissect this manga in slightly different aspects.
~ Exemplary Shounen-ness ~ First of all, Rave Master is Shounen. There is no dispute about it. It is also a good Shounen, and that means that every once in a while, readers starts to feel blood rushing into their heads. Or, as I would like to put it, it is epic. In this regard, it is on par with Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, etc. As we will soon see, though, ... 
Jul 17, 2012
Forget about Fairy Tail kids, Rave Master is the real deal when it comes to battle shonen. Having read over both manga several times, I can easily say that Mashima really dropped the ball with Fairy Tail and that Rave is a much better story and it stands above almost every other shonen I've read.
Now, as much I as I enjoy hyping Rave Master up, I can't deny that it's another generic and cliche shonen. It has the stereotypical characters and tropes. But what I am saying is that Rave takes these cliches and executes them in a way that is better than just ... 
Sep 19, 2021
As of today i finished Rave Master and it has been a good ride and i loved it.
I love the fact that Mashima-sensei evolved with the story the art everything became even better with the time. It ended how it should till the end i had soo much passion i didn't stop reading it was that good. I won't spoil anything i will say only that it was very creative about how Haru fight. The plot twist was amazing even at the end i figured out the foreshadowing and i was like in my room. "Mashima-sensei is just an amazing man how he thought it WHOAAAA". I was happy ... 
Nov 28, 2009
Rave, the anime was the reason of my anime addiction. I was disappointed when it was left at episode 50(around volume12 I think). And so, I picked it up from where the anime left off meaning that I, until today have not read the first few volumes.
Story: Its so cliche but since it was my first manga, I didn't feel so then and was completely engrossed in it. There are many twists, some are brilliant, some are dumb. I consider myself as a sadist because my most enjoyable part throughout the anime/manga was when Elie got tortured (it happened 3 times). :D I found it very arousing... ... 
Nov 19, 2015
Rave Master is by far, my favorite manga/ book/ anything ever written (though the anime kind of sucked). It is Hiro Mashima's work before Fairy Tail. Even if Fairy Tail is amazing, this is even better. It is amazing, and I give it a 10. Heck, I'd give it a 17 if I could. T^T Anyway, to the review:
- STORY - 10 - I love the story, and I feel it is quite original. I know, it probably could relate to something here and there, but it is still good, I mean, what other stories have you heard about a boy who was chosen to ... 
Jan 5, 2021
TL;DR? While not amazingly perfect or objectively brilliant, Rave Master is one of the best shonen I’ve read that combines the most lovable shonen ideals together into a well-paced, heartfelt adventure story.
L;DR: You know, one of the last things I ever expected was to become a fan of Hiro Mashima. I only watched a bit of Fairy Tail back in the day and declared it so-so at the time. But after completing Rave Master, it would be a lie to say that I am not, at the very least, impressed. Because Rave Master… crap, it was really, really, good. Fresh off the high of his newest series, ... 
Jun 13, 2010
I started watching Rave Master a long time ago - it was one of my first ever anime that felt like an anime - before I even knew what anime and manga were. I was kinda lost watching it out of order on TV and then it's abrupt end. A year ago I found the manga and dived right in. By then I already knew the beginning plot and was accustomed to the shounen style; this is typical of the shounen formula.
Story - 7 Rave starts as a light-hearted adventure with three goals - one each distinctly for Haru, Elie, and Musica - a ... 
Apr 10, 2013
Groove Adventure Rave : An epic adventure with lots of emotional events.
This is probably the only manga I completely read, so I think I should write a review about it. Note : I have watched the 51 episodes anime 10 years ago. I just finished reading the manga recently. I am also watching Fairy Tail, the same story wrote by Mashima Hiro, so I will write this review based on this condition. If you read or watched Fairy Tail, you should also read this manga. They had a 51 episodes of anime based on this manga, but that anime is not done, so reading the manga is ... 
Aug 2, 2015
Groove Adventure Rave(known as rave master in north america) is easily one of my favorites for shonen's also it's my 5th favorite manga EVER! Let's get down the story, A boy named Haru Glory is the chosen one...The rave master (meaning he is one of the only one's who can use rave stones) along his journey with a snowman named plue (who is called a dog) meet's an etherion girl named Ellie, a man who can shape shift metal named Musica, a dragon from the mystic realm named Let, and numerous other characters. Along the story, Haru goes through hardships to make him stronger
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May 23, 2012
Great beginning! Likebable characters, exiting story, funny dialog and very well drawn fights. Volume 1 was absolutally fantastic, extremely well written, good character introduction and dramatic. Volume 2 was a bit weaker, it could get a bit messy at times and more fights than story telling. But it was still good! Great character development, and cool that a new funny and cool character (Elie) joined the adventure.
- PS: If you already have read the comic DONT watch the TV series. It leaves out volume 1 and is just absurd. You will get frustrated!! - I will update as I read more 
Jul 12, 2021
For a decade I find many people have said that "Rave Master" is the ้hidden gem and a better story written from Mashima compared to "Fairy tail" which kinda intrigued me lately with the pandemic situation , so I decided to read it eventually.
Honestly, I wish I liked the series more than I do. Aspects of it, and a few entire arcs, are great enough that I want the whole thing to be a masterpiece. But as it stands, there's just too many things I dislike about the series for me to pursue it any further. The story is the definition of "cliché" , except ... 
Feb 21, 2011
Story: 4
Character: 4 The story and characters are really cliche. There is a warrior, and he is the only one who can save the world from an evil organization. Along the way, he meets people who join him because he changed their heart. He brings a few evil people onto his side, absolutely refuses to kill, is the typical naive good guy. I found the general direction of the story easy to predict as well. Art: 6 Reminiscent of One Piece, and I am one of those people who likes One Piece, so I could tolerate it. The art got a lot better after approximately 7 volumes? I ... 
Aug 8, 2012
The manga Rave Master was actaully one of the first anime i've watched as a child. Back then, it was so awesome that i basically counted down the minutes(as best as i could) until it would come back on. Now that i've matured to a certain extent, i rewatched and read the anime and manga and i believe that rave master is one of the BEST anime out there. It is for most ages, an awesome story, great character development, the art could do with a bit improving but it is still easily awesome. the main characters, haru and ellie, together grow not only stronger,
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Jun 14, 2012
story
the story of rave master is great and epic i loved the plot. the plot is very original. art. the art is great mr hiro did a great job and hes a very great artiest. characters. the characters are great you wil have alot of fave i know i did . enjoyment. i very munch enjoyed this manga. overall score. 10 out of 10 this is a great manga and if you like love story's and action then you will love rave master. 
Jun 12, 2012
Ok so first of all, overall, I give Rave Master a 10. To me, it's really the most outstanding thing I've read. I believe Mashima sensei did a great job writing this story out. It's filled with PLENTY of humor so it keeps the reader entertained. Not only that but he manages to delve deep into the roots of the characters. Even the bad guys seem likable in some way. Not only that but he makes sure to give reason behind the villains going down the wrong path. It's really incredible. I cried when reading the manga and got attached to so many characters. His
...
Aug 18, 2009
i havent read any manga for a while so it was interesting to finally read another one. i found this rave master and thought it looked good so gave it a try. it was an origional manga so you had to read it backwards which is part of the whole enjoyment tho a little confusing to begin with.. anyway...
the characters are interesting and you get to know their personalities very well.. they also have new characters that arent human which are fun. plue for example. the main story is good although its one that has been used many times before. basically a young warrior wannabe meets someone ... 
Mar 6, 2022
4/10
Simple standard shounen. Most key moments either include foreshadowing so obvious that it is very predictable, or are plot twists pulled from thin air to the point that it requires a suspension of disbelief. This undermines the very themes the manga is trying to portray. Pacing of story midway begins to slowly drag on, as the protagonist cycles between underlings to defeat. Rinse, repeat. The story seems to be stuck in a rut and serves its purpose in a way. It is a missed opportunity however due to the lack of growth in many characters' development. Cementing the experience are overdone friendship tropes, repetitive puns as a ... |
