Kokumin Quiz

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Oh, what a strange manga this was. All of the drama and seriousness of Orwell's "1984" ... without any of the drama and seriousness of it.

Story:
The story was fun, one of a society run by greed and a game show. I've always enjoyed stories of truly twisted social norms set in a parallel world, and this one was certainly that. Any wish granted, as long as you were a trivia whiz. It's insane, and written as such.

Art:
Odd. Very odd. Definitely the 90s feel, but sometimes hyper-realistic, sometimes stretched to grotesque proportions. Overall, enjoyable, but just as strange as everything else about the manga.

Characters:
As ... much as I would like to say that they're original and amazing...I can't. Most of them fall under your typical dystopian manga character types. I still loved them, they were expressive and entertaining, but...for example, I kept comparing characters to ones in 20th Century Boys. They're kinda all the same.

Enjoyment:
As I've said, a lot of fun. I 100% suggest reading this if you're into corrupt government and rebellion. Plus game shows. The author really tries to be showing with every fiber of the manga just how twisted and ridiculous the world pictured would be

National quiz is quite a strange and unusual series.
The premise itself sets it apart from most of what is published. Japan is ruled by a quiz show, instead of some form of elections or stable government.
And what follows is a story that takes this premise and turns the world on its head, so that such an idea does not seem stupid at all.

While the story is intriguing and characters tolerable (well, portrayed but not especially deep, this is after all, not a psychological drama), what really sets this apart is the amazing art.
The world of national quiz has a lot of room of visual extravaganza ... (with the show itself being flashy) and Katou utilizes this superbly. The art is slightly crazy, insanely detailed and quirky. The characters all look different and have very expresionable faces.
A very important point is that the art has strong lines, which with a comprehensing panel structure means you won't get lost on a page. And that you always know what exactly is happening in the picture.

This is, all in all an unforgettable masterpiece, that all people who are deeple interested in the medium of manga should read.