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Feb 25, 2025
Asura doesn't pull back any punches when it comes to portraying the cruelty of humans at full display, a complex time when people were capable of doing heinous stuff to survive. Our protagonist, Asura, is no different, as he has experienced firsthand since birth what it's like living in a world that embodies the phrase "survival of the fittest". However, despite having a pretty grim introduction the series has a good sense of humor complemented by its eye-catching art style that contrasts nicely with the amount of violence the manga contains.
Asura is a very fun character to follow not only because of his beastly antics
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and moments of slapstick but also because of the humanity he develops as the series goes on. He's constantly faced with personal dilemmas that put into doubt his way of living, as well as the grudge dwelling up inside him. You can't help but root for the little guy even if he does a bunch of terrible things throughout the manga. He is a being full of self-hatred who says "If only I had never been born" on more than one occasion, and yet he can put on a grin in front of his enemies (who might be attacking him in retaliation for one of his violent attacks).
The series as a whole can be pretty cruel to its characters, and often cynical for that matter as it creates scenarios you might be familiar with (from reading/watching other series such as 'forbidden love' and 'family reunion') and flips them on their head. No cliche cheap relief just a constant reminder that the most important thing in the world is surviving. This is rather alleviated by comedic moments which make it seem a bit tone-deaf on paper, especially if you've just read about a gory occurrence of Asura's animalistic wrath to then go to a goofy scene, but it honestly works better than how it sounds. At the end of the day, most of the characters are either kids or generally young which adds a level of shock to some of the more bloody scenes but also gives much-needed levity when they're cracking jokes or making funny faces.
The series does make a few weird decisions nearing its end, forgetting storylines and introducing characters out of nowhere, and I have to wonder if there's a mistake in the MAL database (as of writing this) with it saying there are 42 chapters as opposed to the 30 available or if I skipped something unintentionally, either way, one of these things happen mid-chapter. However this doesn't ruin the series, it still leaves you with an end of a cycle in Asura's life which serves as a pretty strong conclusion for the manga aside from some faltering at certain points during the series. I'd recommend you to check it out if you're in the mood for a series that appears to be purely grim dark but has a heart and a lot of charm.
BONUS: I read Asura before watching the Toei anime movie so the usual question pops up, which is better? And my answer to that is, both are good. The movie's depiction of Asura's journey is quite dissimilar from the manga and a few characters are framed in different ways (some outright not making an appearance) but it retains most of the tragedy present in the series, it has a great score and visuals (even if the CG can be a bit off-putting for some) but its biggest difference is that it plays in complete seriousness, without any of the comedy of the manga. It's up to you which one you choose to experience first but don't expect the other to be exactly the same.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 26, 2025
I think the description on MAL for this series does a disservice to some of the more strange elements at play in the world of Gekikou Kamen but also sets the tone for the kind of themes present in the manga. The story centers around a club called Tokubiken, a group of Tokusatsu fanatics dedicated to creating functional suits for their respective Tokusatsu heroes. In one of his other series, Shigurui, the author, Takayuki Yamaguchi, shows his exhaustive attention to detail regarding the techniques used by characters in that manga, this can also be seen in Gekikou Kamen through the use of narration and inner
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monologues that thoroughly explain the intricacies of the Tokusatsu heros' suits, weapons, and their history. In different instances, the series makes use of real-life figures under different names, such as the case of Takeshi Hongo and his accident while filming the original Kamen Rider series and Eiji Tsuburaya's involvement with war propaganda (special effects director for Godzilla and founder of Tsuburaya Productions responsible for Ultraman). The series' focus varies depending on each story arc but one thing that stays constant is the passing of time, not only in showing the change between seasons but also in how it affects the relationships of our characters.
While I think the most important character in the series is Otoya Jissouji, as he is the one who takes on the protagonist role for most of what constitutes the manga's serialization, each of the members of Tokubiken is denotably devoted to Tokusatsu even in their daily lives. They aren't just knowledgeable about their favorite films/series, they too follow the way their heroes act. This obsession is at times borderline fetishistic, coupled with the amount of nudity depicted in the manga. Nevertheless, it is the driving factor behind the vigilantism enacted by the characters. Take away some of the more strange and raunchy elements and Gekikou Kamen still works as a story of ordinary people becoming superheroes, yet it's the more bizarre elements the ones that give way to a rather unique series.
In essence, the manga is about growing out of something you once loved passionately, or rather fighting back against that notion as some of the characters' jobs are directly related to the Tokusatsu industry. Likewise, the root of the conflicts in the series revolves around the consequences of highly functional Tokusatsu suits, more often than not the law obfuscates the implementation of real-life suits in the series and serves as a frequent reminder to our characters. Not only that, it sometimes results in some very unsavory situations by way of others pitting the love they share for Tokusatsu against them.
Still, even if I appreciate many of the things Gekikou achieves it's far from flawless in execution. The art can have moments of brilliant detail and poses but sometimes throws you off with the occasional character that looks contrastingly out of place in relation to Yamaguchi's designs. I suspect it must be the work of an assistant, which isn't inherently bad in and of itself (it's good for authors to find help to reach deadlines and free heavy workloads, it's necessary for the industry) but if you put said characters in the forefront of a panel instead of just the background it creates some dissonance. Another issue I have with the way the story is presented is the narration, this was also an issue present in Shigurui that was alleviated by considerably cut-down narration in the anime adaptation, it's not that I don't want the required context being the Tokusatsu newbie I am, is just it sometimes lessens the effectiveness of the story. Speaking of which...
I only really have one point of comparison to another Yamaguchi work, and that is Shigurui. There the basic story was laid out in Norio Nanjo's novel, which was later adapted by Yamaguchi where he tweaked some of the details and extended the original 30 or so pages Mumyou Sakaranage's chapter takes up. There it felt like the story never deviated from the main plot aside from a particular story arc. Here, the flow of the story is never concise, it starts like a human drama series but then you begin to feel as if the manga is holding back its trump card and reach a point where it seems to be the case, a concrete turning point, but then it circles back to being human drama. It's a bit frustrating as a reader, nonetheless, I still feel compelled to read the next chapter.
In conclusion, Gekikou Kamen has an eccentric cast of characters to follow who all share a passionate love for a hobby and carry on living according to the values of their fictional heroes which lead them to encounter similarly peculiar foes. I wouldn't personally know if someone into Tokusatsu would like it but I think anyone who is interested in the topic or knows nothing about it will find it all the more amusing. I hope to have laid out my thoughts without giving away much of the surprises it has in store for new readers.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 17, 2024
(Abu)Normal tells the story of Eiko Abu, a 29-year-old woman who has never been "normal", and as such, needs help from others to become her ideal "normal" self, but what if instead of achieving this goal she learned all the wrong lessons out of it?
It's a pretty solid premise that doesn't fully set in until after the 17-chapter mark. Don't get me wrong, it leaves a great first impression with chapter 1 but after that, it shifts focus to another character I didn't care as much for as I do with Abu since she's the stellar selling point for the series. However, after that specific
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story arc, I can say I'm pleasantly surprised with the rest of the manga, it manages to balance comical/ridiculous situations and serious suspenseful moments remarkably well.
The joy of reading this story comes from how Abu will react to certain social situations, such as being given a difficult task at her job, dealing with difficult co-workers, finding love, etc. Since it's never a straightforward answer. Sometimes Abu can be very gullible while other times she's extremely calculating and thorough in her problem-solving, some may say this on-and-off switch in intelligence leaves her character to feel inconsistent while I'd argue it's more about her inherent innocence and ignorance, she emanates an uncanny presence because of how weird she is and always comes back with unique solutions to her issues.
Another strong point of the series is its art. It makes great use of contrasting black and white colors to elevate the characters' emotional states and always renders their reactions sublimely, with lots of ugly faces! There's not a single boring chapter to look at. One thing to keep in consideration though, is that the world present in the manga is an exaggerated portrayal of our own, don't go in expecting it to be realistic since that's not the point, what the series does is heighten any and all situations through absurdity.
In conclusion, (Abu)Normal is a unique character study about someone who lacks what we'd consider normal attachments and sensibilities trying her best to adjust to society, and in a way that in which she wishes to fit in is just as weird as her. What anybody considers "normal" is purely subjective and Abu takes in all the wrong conclusions from others' teachings which makes for all the more hilarious and tense situations in the story. I recommend it but admittedly I find one of its initial arcs very weak in comparison to the rest of the series, it's not instantly engaging but sticking with it absolutely pays off.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 22, 2024
Thunder 3 is every bit as strange as the synopsis on MAL makes it out to be, it seems to tell the story of our titular trio (Pyotaro, Tsubame, and Hiroshi) as they try to rescue Pyotaro's sister, Futaba, from aliens who govern the world they've traveled to all the while they discover just how strong they've become in comparison to normal humans living in this version of the universe. But, from the chapters I've read, three volumes in total, the story shifts perspective to a university student named Segumi who joins the rebellion against aliens occupying our planet.
It suffices as an action series with
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a great sense of pacing courtesy of its use of double-page spreads and the composition of elements taking space in said pages. One of its biggest pros is the scale of things as it lets you assimilate the danger befalling humanity just by showing you the sheer magnitude of alien ships or the stature of aliens themselves and while the incorporation of CG elements is a bit jarring at first it couples well with the contrast the series does between the cartoonish world and the realistically detailed world under alien control.
Now for the cons. It's a bit conflicting how people, in what we'd expect to be a world akin to our own (except for aliens of course), react quite indifferently to the cartoony trio (though it could be a commentary on current technology and social media, or just how accustomed they are to aliens at this point). Speaking of which, the trio, except for Pyotaro, don't have much character or motivation of their own. The series is juggling between being a Gantz-like set-up about people in battle suits fighting aliens with special weapons and powers, and a multiverse story about these odd cartoon characters entering a realistic world which felt more slapped in rather than something the story required, which feels incongruent with the hook the initial chapters had.
Overall there's much that could be ameliorated in future chapters I'm looking forward to reading, at the moment the series contains quality action, a unique style (uncannily similar to Hiroya Oku's works), and many mysteries surrounding the origin of the gateway opened between these two worlds and the intentions behind the aliens, that make it worth continuing to read for the time being.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 24, 2024
Casino Gui handles two kinds of stories, one is about the in-fighting found within two warring factions of the same yakuza clan, the Date Clan, and the other is about gambling through the perspective of Gen, our protagonist, who, after his plan to rob a dark casino is thwarted, gets used as a sacrificial pawn for one of the faction's interests, the Kuronomiya group. Gen needs to climb through the ranks of casino dealers before the return of Kuronomiya's leader, failing to do so spells demise for him and his loved ones.
I think it does a perfectly decent job of delivering exciting gambling matches as
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well as raising interesting questions about the underworld the clan operates in. As you slowly connect the dots the story becomes a clash of whose desire to come out on top is the strongest. Not all characters are as fleshed out as the others. Once we get to a certain point in the story the manga skips some interactions between characters I would've liked to see. Still, overall it does a serviceable job of making you understand where everyone stands in the two opposing sides of the clan.
Something that truly hit the nail on the head for me was the art, characters are rarely rendered in bizarre or outlandish visual metaphors or expressions but once they do they highlight the intensity of emotions the characters feel which is one of the most important aspects in gambling manga, to accentuate utter defeat or a seemingly implausible win.
It's not a long manga but it achieves what it promises in the first chapters, in particular, the last "arc"/match shows glimpses of what could've been an entertaining one-on-one style of gambling we didn't see our characters in, similar to other gambling manga peers, as most of the story centers on Gen's role as a dealer in different variations of games using a standard deck (but mostly Baccarat). Once they start bringing other casino game staples the manga ends. That lack of departure standard games is what is holding back a higher score in my book as it feels like it had potential for an extended narrative for different foes and gambles to enter but other than that it was an enjoyable read, which makes me want to check out Bakuchi Gui by the same duo behind this story, once it gets translated (hopefully).
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 18, 2024
Tateo Sone is an average pharmacist, he doesn't seem to have much going for his life except for his new marriage to Akane who brings him the exciting news that she's pregnant with his baby, however, this confuses Tateo as he's had ED (Erectile Dysfunction) for his whole life. Things take a turn as he meets Sumaoka, a sketchy man who talks him into taking an ED drug that could help even his case. With Tateo's newly found sensation, he partners up with Sumaoka to develop more of "Jumbo Max" but it seems as though his conviction to help people with the same problem as
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him will introduce Tateo to a dangerous world that'll make his life spiral out of control. (There was no synopsis on MAL as of writing this :P)
Jumbo Max is one of the most exciting reads I've had in recent memory, the story can take so many different twists and turns and always introduces new characters organically. What has really impressed me about the narrative is that from chapter 1 it doesn't miss a beat, it seamlessly moves around from character to character without ever losing me in the process. Its ensemble cast could be the leads in their own story but because everyone gets a role to do even if you know the outcome of certain scenes the execution is always top-notch. But what stands as the heart of this manga is Tateo himself, he's such an unconventional character, a well-meaning man constantly being at the forefront of hard decisions, and once a situation has reached its boiling point his true character shows up.
It's such an engrossing story that I even caught up to the translated chapters in a matter of 2 days. Art is perfectly fine for a series of this style, it never throws anything grotesque at you (but be aware of its adult themes). Character designs are undoubtedly charming, especially for the look of Tateo. And if I had to say something more it'd be that characters have more layers to them than what initially appears, making for an interesting question to pop up many times while you read: "What will happen when X meets Y?" And it always comes back with an amusing answer.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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