Tokyo ESP

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The story is set into 2 main parts. The story and characters for each part will be separately reviewed.

Art: 7/10
The art is nothing too extraordinary. It has a clean style save for some action scenes (But that's not unheard of). The art is very consistent and style doesn't change, which is fine since it started out well in the first place. Scenery can sometimes clash with the people into a small mess, but things are still distinguishable and bearable. There isn't much to say on the art besides it's fully average.

Part 1:
Story: 7/10
Rinka Urushiba is a fairly normal girl, with the exception of ... her being poor and recently, gaining the power of intangibility through mysterious fish appearing above Tokyo skies. The general name of the abilities gained through these fish is called ESP, while the users are called ESPers. Rinka and her companions battle against ESPers abusing their powers and against a much more bigger threat to the crumbling society.

The story at first glance can come off as dull and too simplistic to be successful. This is highly disagreeable. Reading deeper into chapters, the story becomes more twisted and complex than one might have thought. The pacing contributes to writing off the idea that this is just a simple manga. While you may get spoon fed in the beginning, you nearly plunge deeper into a much bigger picture. It is because of this plunge that i stuck to the manga. The complexity of this story is both the savior and the downfall. While it will have you on edge, it will also have you exhausted because of how many layers you have to dig through before reaching what's important in the story.
You get to see 2 sides of the story: the heroes (Rinka & co.) and the villains (The big dogs, not the small fries). The author teases us with small and vague glimpses at what the antagonist is up to. It mostly sticks to Rinka's POV in order to keep the big picture shrouded in mystery and make us take frustrating guesses at what they're truly working towards, which works quite well. Its safe to say that while it has a good plot going on, its nothing i haven't seen before, but still manages to keep me going with some elements of uniqueness. Combining action, drama, and comedy the story is fairly well balanced.

Characters: 7/10
The characters are what pull this story together. The protagonist, Rinka, can easily put many main characters to shame with her dynamic personality and incredible strength as a heroine. In fact, nearly all of the protagonists have a strength to them and use their gifts to its full potential. While likeable, the fact that they seem overly powerful and unstoppable makes them somewhat 2 dimensional because of their lack of flaws. The addition of some very odd characters can slightly put you off considering how random they are. Personally, it brings down and distracts from those serious moments in the manga.
The antagonists are, depending on which one you're looking at, more or less dull. Many are the same with just a different face and name placed on. Even the main antagonist has a goal that isn't remarkable or unusual, though there is still room for development in the future, so not all hope is lost.

Part 2:
Story: 8/10
Ren Jomakyu is an ESPer who simply wants to lead a normal high school life. Previously being persecuted in middle school for being different, her slate is wiped clean when she attends an academy specifically for ESPers. Even among the same type of people is she different, as Ren accepts the protection of the police when she is targeted for her ESP.

After completing part 1's mystery which still hasn't been solved entirely, we are given another mystery. There are many new questions to be asked in addition to the previous ones. Right off the bat we are slapped with a new plot, which in a short period of time, manages to develop very quickly. It works in favor of the story though, since many readers will be eager to plow through the story and finally reveal the secret behind the antagonists' actions and doings.

Characters: 6/10
A majority of the characters in the 2nd part are new faces. Its a risky choice on the author's part considering how attached we've already gotten to the previous characters. These new ones simply haven't lived up to the expectations. While there are some interesting qualities to them, it's hard to transition into these new characters. Similarly to the last part, the antagonists haven't yet shown anything different to make them stand out from each other. It feels the same as part 1 in that everyone has the same goals and same reason for doing something.

Overall: 7/10
The story is very well done and the characters are ones that you will feel for. While enjoyable, this manga isn't too spectacular that it will jump at you. It's well worth giving the manga a chance though, since it has an interesting concept and it's definitely cool to see the powers get put to use. There are surprises that will get to you, which is what i live for. The art is average but well off and does its job is showing each scene.
This is a manga that i would recommend for those seeking a comedy/drama/heavy action that puts the premise of the story to good use.

Almost everyone wants to make their mark on their world. At the very least, most people wish to have the power to change the world around them...

But what happens when you possess that power, and fantasy gives way to reality?

- - - - - - - -

In Tokyo ESP, Hajime Segawa provides a forlorn and forsaken Tokyo, cursed with the mystical powers of Esp and subsequently, the people who control Esp--Espers. In a society that remains critical of individualistic personas, and partial to those who do conform, Rinka, a young girl who only wants to fit in with the people around her, is ... forced to act upon her new powers.

From the very beginning until the end of part 1, Rinka's transformation from a simple, frugal, self-conscious young teen to a mature, strong young woman--and a symbol of hope for all of Tokyo--is beautiful to see.

On the other hand, the archetypes of this work is obvious and plain as day. Heroine is given power, heroine recognizes injustice, heroine attempts to beat injustice with her own power, gets owned, works hard to overcome her weakness, beats injustice.

As for the romance--nothing to see here, folks!--if the "fall in love at first sight" archetype is your thing, you will enjoy the work.

If you are a fan of Hajime Segawa's work, I assure you that Tokyo ESP does not disappoint. From the beginning to the end, through the curse of Segawa's horrible setting explanation to the final, vainglorious moments, this rough gem stands out amongst the dust around it. Shine it a little more, and polish it--here is a work you might not easily forget, a work that you just might add to your favorites.

Folks, please give it up for Hajime Segawa's Tokyo ESP.

4.5 out of 5 stars for the currently incomplete but captivating Tokyo ESP.

I have recently just finished the first part of Tokyo ESP (Yay!) Considering that I needed enjoyed it immensely (and I had some free time) I decided to write something about it.

Urushiba Rinka has been living quite a tough life. Her father is a renegade policeman and her mother ran away due to complications with her husband. Due to her now jobless father, she takes on the burden and works to make ends meet. School wasn't fun either since she had no friends and gets teased due her poverty... Life wasn't exactly a box of chocolates. However, this lifestyle ends abruptly when she encounters several ... freaks of nature: a flying penguin and "light" fish swimming through the air that suck her into a new world; full of dark secrets, relentless enemies, and a blast from the past.

Story 9/10: The story turns a run of the mill theme, hero/herione saves the world, and manages to turn it into something unique. One thing I appreciate is the high ups and extreme lows that the characters experience throughout the journey. This gives a sense of reality to the story, not some super overpowered character that blows away everything in his/her path and has absolutely no problems (*cough* Izayoi *cough*).

Art 6/10: This is definitely the weakest link in the chain. While Segami Hajime is extremely adept at incorporating fine detail as well as drawing a myriad of emotions, the quality fluctuates too much as smaller panels have less details and the characters are more disoriented. Additionally, I feel like while the few main and sub-main characters are drawn at a very high level (no complaints here), the quality drops considerably when comparing them to background and miscellaneous characters.

Character 9/10: The characters all have their own unique character and problems to deal with, but are able to unite despite their differences and defeat these obstacles (well at least most of them). The heroine has her volatile but caring personality, her quirky sidekick and friend (ITS A FREAKIN MIRACLE Q.Q), and her overprotective father (to the point I feel like its a daughter complex >.>).

Enjoyment 9/10: I was extremely entertained by this manga xD. There are some very funny moments and your able to connect to the characters at various points. Also, battle scenes weren't over the top (TYVM) and were even humorous. Only thing that prevents me from totally enjoying this are times when story kinda slugs along or goes of on a tangent (Just focus on the freakin main story!).

Overall 8/10: I find the story and characters very engrossing the only major complaint is a need for better artwork. While it isn't horrible (It does some things very well as previously mentioned) it needs a great deal of improvement. The negatives aside, Tokyo ESP is a very engrossing, action packed (and a sprinkle of romance) read that you should give a try! ^.^