Nish's Notepad: Naruto 600 (Review + Spoilers!)

Naruto 600: How Come Until Now?

(なぜ今まで, Naze Ima Made)

Author: Masashi Kishimoto
Arc: Shinobi World War Arc
Volume: Uncategorised

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[RECAP]

#599 finally revealed Tobi's identity. Even if you missed it, Kishimoto is such a genius that just by reading the title of the chapter (Obito Uchiha), you'll get to know that >.<

Pages of Madness

Something wicked, this way comes.

Fair warning dear readers, this one is not for the faint of the heart. Content wise its really far out. And those of you who consider themselves Peter Pan fanboys might wanna give this a pass. But on the other hand, if you, like me, were drawn into the mythos of Peter Pan, yet could tell something was off in the story and are hooked to reading something twisted... Then boy do I have a story for you!
Wendy is an experimental manga from the get go. And it is for mature eyes only. Under-age readers you'd best wait a while.

Bambi and her Pink Gun

A page from out of pulp for a change.

I came across this manga recently and cursed the manifold fates that had kept me away from a gem such as this for so long. Bambi and her Pink Gun is almost not a manga. The artwork is distinctly un-manga-like and shifts closer to the Paul Pope style, the story is bizarre and erratic. Few explanations and fewer conclusions. But there is a chase to the manga, a pace inherent within these pages that drives along at breakneck speeds.

Crashing from one adventure straight through onward into the next, Bambi is a sixteen year old girl with devastating instincts and a bad attitude. She is out on a mission see, and no one is getting in the way.

Cyborg 009! No school like the old school!

Cyborg 009 is a name that should ring familiar to many manga/anime fans across the country. A long time ago, when I was considerably younger, I was enthralled by the anime for Cyborg 009 when it was aired on television. I was of course new to anime in general so many of the things that caught my eye were the standard anime styling and fluid action. But there was something to the story and the characters in this cartoon were surprisingly tragic for, you know, a cartoon.

More to Shonen then meets the eye!! (or ear...)

Hello manga fans, old and new!!

Tired of people recommending the same old titles like One piece, Bleach or Naruto when you ask them about good Shonen to read? Sick of finding no good feedback on anything but books that have been out for ages and/or long over instead of something more current? Well have to fear - your friendly neighbourhood ComicAddicts are here! 

To remedy this reprehensible situation our team has debated and finally made a shortlist which we now present to you, of five currently ongoing shonen manga (in no particular order) that you might want to try out:

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Blue Exorcist

The Son of Satan takes the fight to Satan by deciding to become an exorcist. Of course in typical shonen fashion he isn’t a very good exorcist, but he has plenty of raw power that he would need to control and master to be able to beat Satan! Varies from good to awesome, but the awesome is definitely pure awesome.

Samurai Manga Madness!

Ah manga. The gift that keeps on giving. The inspiration that has now started inspiring. The original sin and also the original sinner.

Too dramatic?

Perhaps, but the mark of the mangaka is unmistakable and undeniable in our lives. Japan's mainstream comic book industry which started as the smallest of the small was an attempt to give the identity starved Japanese people heroes of their own, like the Americans had theirs. It was a humble attempt and was long ridiculed by the more powerful film companies of Japan who, at the time, ruled the entertainment industry. Serious directors/writers/artists kept their heads down and stayed away from manga/anime lest they incur the producer's wrath.

Today its impact cant be felt worldwide. 

Even in India we see kids gush over Naruto and collect a myriad of toys and collectibles while making "pika pika...pikachu" noises. It has in due course overtaken and overthrown the giant shadow of the American Comic book industry and today casts it's own shade upon the world. Being no stranger to manga (and by it's extension anime) I believe the stars to have sufficiently aligned and the time to be sort of right for new readers of comic books, namely you, to follow me into the great mysteries of the Orient.

Review: Yotsubato! - The Manga

(Note: All manga panels must be read from right to left)

Good morn/eve/twilight folks, have you all been well?

Chewed your nails to the quick in anticipation of the lovely tidbits I drop you all?

Well your wait is over! Rejoice! Particularly because I have something utterly delicious for you today.

Ready? Yes/No?

This week I’d like to present my all time favourite manga to all of you: Yotsubato! (referred to as some by 4chan’s mascot, to my extreme horror) is one of those slice-of-life type of manga’s that never fails to cheer you up. Sort of like your Calvin and Hobbes or Garfield, this manga will make you crack up with it’s insane, yet completely normal situations – all the while reminding you in little bits about your own childhood antics.

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Mon... Err.. Tuesday Manga Madness: The Bare Neccesities III

Lets talk about Akira.

It was once upon a time (quite a while ago) when I was going through the inexhaustible information that is the internet, that I came across a particular poster. It was not something out of this world. Looked like a standard Sci-fi poster to me. But something about it caught my eye. Perhaps it was the slick looking bike that instantly attracted my vision, or perhaps it was the mysterious Capsule logo on the back of the protagonists jacket. Or maybe was it the cracked road underneath hinting possibly at an apocalypse.

The iconic poster

Either way I did what any sensible anime fan would do upon encountering such a poster - devote my meager resources to hunting down and watching the movie. Needless to say, my mind was blown.

xxxHolic

xxxHolic: Review by Seema Kakade

There are some Manga that are so popular, that they don’t even need an introduction, let alone a review. Yet, I've seen a lot of people shunning away from these amazing pieces of works either due to a misleading title or a shoujo-ish outer appearance. Case in point - xxxHolic.
So for all those who are lingering around this manga without enough confidence to start reading it, I’m here to give you a brief overview of this cult classic.

xxxHolic, also simply known as Holic, is a fantasy, psychological and philosophical story by the famous group of manga artists CLAMP. Since the story happens to be a crossover series of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and Card Captor Sakura, many incidents in the story might throw you off the course, but I assure you, that you can totally understand the story even if you don’t know squat about the aforementioned stories. So, without further ado, let me give you a brief introduction of the story.
Plot – The story opens with a young high school boy, Watanuki Kimihiro, who has supernatural powers to see demons and spirits (no, it’s not the usual cliché story of saving the world; there’s much more to it in this one!) being, as usual, followed, trapped and tormented by a bunch of spirits, while he does everything in is power, which is next to nothing, to get rid of them. While he is busy performing this feat, he ends up landing in front of a strange, old styled building that is squeezed between two modern sky scrapers.

xxxHolic 1 Cover

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Monday Manga Madness: The Bare Neccesities - I

I have been talking about a wide variety of manga in this little writing space. We have ranged from swords to fantasy and onward to more diverse topics. Most of the recommendations have been generic and I am certain an avid manga reader would have managed to recognize more than a title or two. In addition I try and stay away from grading a manga on any scale, for simplicity's sake. Considering how subjective the very idea of manga and it's appreciation is, grading stuff would lead me down a sticky slope I am not very keen on sliding. However this one time I will be breaking from convention, no not by grading anything. But instead by recommending manga that should absolutely, most definitely, under no circumstances be missed by any fan of manga anywhere.

And yes, when I say anywhere I mean the realm of the Elder Gods too.

Right, so here it is. This isn't my list of favorite manga mind you. I'm not sure I like them too much. I prefer my manga more light hearted and funny, and these are pretty serious in both content and delivery. But these manga, have surpassed the norms and cliches that hold down other more commercially viable manga out there. These works have transcended into a realm where they are now truly without exception masterpieces of fiction. Each series presented here is a hallmark blend of brilliant story writing and excellent artwork. They are surreal, and moving to such a degree that I assure you....go through this list of manga and you will not come away unmoved.

Let us begin.

Oh yeah, I went there.

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La Mangafique

Anime: The who, the what, and the where (and other nitty-gritty’s)

It's out there and it's coming to get you.

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So, sometime in the past 10 years or so, you must have noticed this craze going about infecting young and old people alike, called “Pokemon”, which seems to consist of absurd fantastic creatures, a parallel reality and the ability to capture said creatures and battle with them. (If you really still don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ve been living under a rock). Ever scratched your head and wondered just what it is and why people are crazy about it? Some if not all of those questions, can be answered if you delve into the world of anime.

Out of pets to collect? Start collecting these.

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Manga Mondays: The Master of all Spirits

This week why not take something from the traditional, Shonen slice of the pie. Nurarihyon No Mago, reads like the typical shonen manga. Initially I almost wrote it off as a cheap knockoff Naruto. But this manga surprises you, if only by the sheer depth of its storyline. This comic draws from a lot of folk sources, Nurarihyon is indeed the Master of all Spirits in Japanese folklore. The popular figure of the demon as a bent misshapen man who has the ability to deceive your senses upon his will is cleverly shown as the protagonist's aging grandfather.

Delinquint Soul Part 2

(Continued from part 1)



Beezlebub

Beezlebub is a delinquent manga with a twist. Oga, the brutishly strong student of a high school is one day trapped into making a contract with Beel. Beel being a baby demon, and the son of the King of Demons. Oga now has to look after Beel, and keep him safe until he grows up. At which point he will destroy the world.

Quite the twist isnt it?

However despite the apparently morbid tone of affairs this manga is nothing but a laugh riot. From chapter one it is clear that this is a comedy manga. And boy does it deliver. I found myself giggling nearly constantly as I read through chapter after chapter in my quest to find out for myself, what happened next to Oga on his adventures. The characters are not too deep, but then depth is not something you would want out this manga. They sure as hell are funny, newer stronger challenges are introduced to Oga who grows of course at typical shonen pace. Ranging from tough delinquents who wish to take a swipe at Oga's growing reputation, to Demons come out from hell wishing to take down the Baby Beel before he can fully mature.

All through Oga protects his ward and finds out that there might be benefits to allying himself with the prince of demons after all. Drawing on Beel's powers Oga can amplify his strength to even greater levels allowing him to wreak havoc and destruction to any foolish or unfortunate enough to get in his way.

A laugh riot with a magical twist. Delinquents and demons and a baby for good measure. This one is a must grab.

Further reading

Cromartie High School, a manga that essentially is a gag manga on Delinquency. It makes fun of the concept with an intensity that is hard to match. The protagonist an honor student forced to enroll in a high school famous for its delinquents adapts to life around him in a series of hilarious adventures.



Kyou Kara Ore Wa!

The title of the manga translates to “From today on, its my turn”. And that’s exactly what the manga is. Two students moving into a new town and a new school, greatly impressed by manga and stories of Banchos and Delinquents decide to become the greatest delinquents ever in their lives. From today onwards of course. Hoping to get an image that matches their heart's desires they both head to a barber to get some badass hairstyles. And that is how the saga of Itou and Mitsuhashi of Nan High begins. They meet at the barber shop, then again at school in class. And from there their wild adventures takes them off to dizzying heights. For despite the fact that neither of them knew a thing about being delinquents they were both naturally strong fighters. So when push actually comes to shove, they find out that on teaming up they are nigh unbeatable.

An uneasy friendship develops between the honorable Itou and the devilishly evil Mitsuhashi. And the two of them carve out a reputation for themselves in the entire town. Of course not before they have their fair share of pain, heartbreaks and challenges. When I found Beezlebub I was greatly amused and thought it would be hard for a comedy manga to top this. But Kyou Kara Ore Wa! Is exactly that. A manga so good at its core that it will have you hooked from the first chapter. It is a laughter bonanza. You will be laughing so hard that your stomach will hurt. With Mitsuhashi, the Devil contributing to most of the laughs. The characterization in this manga is surprisingly rich with an elegant balance between the comedy and the drama. Of course at its heart it is a comedy manga and that should not be forgotten. The art might turn off a few people but trust me on this, the art is not this series high point. Its the story and the never-ending laughs. This is a not a manga you ought to miss.

Or Lord Mitsuhashi is gonna get you.

Further reading

Angel Densetsu, the tragic tale of Seichirou Kitano born with the scariest face imaginable but a golden heart. A comedy manga that traces Kitano's attempts at becoming recognized by his fellow students as an equal and the hilarious ways in which they get freaked out by his every effort to approach them.

So as you can see, there is a lot of manga to be read. A lot of stories to be heard, a lot of art to be seen. So what are you still doing here?

Time's a wasting.

Delinquent Soul Part 1

It is from our subconscious habit of grouping manga into categories that we have arrived at the various genres we know of. However, to categorize something as diverse in itself as manga is a catch 22 situation, a situation that resulted in genres with weird names and descriptions, such as Slice of life etc. One such oft ignored and little read genre is the Delinquent Manga genre.

Delinquency is a huge problem in the Asian education system. We have entire generations of kids disillusioned by the prospect of rote study techniques and overtly competitive entrances exams for higher studies turning their backs on society as a whole. Forming into groups, gangs and syndicates from middle school onwards. Bōsōzoku (literal translation, 'Violent running tribe') evolved as an entire subculture of biker gangs in Japan. And as with all things Japanese they evolved completely differently than their western counterparts.

Keeping pace with real life, manga also evolved in the only direction possible. Manga dealing with High School Delinquents and Banchos (Leaders) became increasingly popular. Now allow me to be clear, these arent the type of manga a typical fan of the comic art form reads. The art is not always top notch, even amateurish at times. But the story is always top notch. These artists though their comics have spun grand tales of violence, crime and redemption. Drawing upon real life as an inspiration and sometimes even glorifying the idea of gang honor, and honor among the fallen.

These manga take their protagonist and make it clear that he cannot stand within the bounds of society, they show him as an outlaw outcast. Yet he is shown to be an honorable man, a person who sticks to his convictions no matter the personal cost.

A Bancho. In the truest sense of the word.

I took a shine to these comics a while back and had the good fortune of getting hands of copies of the real masterworks in the genre. But then Ive always had a liking for the crime genre. Hell two of my favorite movies off the bat are The Godfather and Goodfellas. And Im sure there are a lot of other people around like me. So this review is for all you people, who like me get caught up in semi romantic and pseudo idealistic fancies of honorable Banchos and gang loyalty, of hierarchies and generations and the tight world of crime that operates on the twin principals of respect and fear.

Allow me to present, the best of the Delinquents.

Crows.

Suzuran is the school of rejects. The most violent of all the region’s schools. The school meant for outcasts of the education system. Those deemed unfit for education anywhere else are sent to Suzuran. They call it the school of Crows. But there is another side to this story. To the students themselves, Suzuran is a shrine of the strong. The only school in the region which has never been dominated by a single person. The school of Crows which stands casting a lofty shadow on all the other schools in the reigon as the strongest, despite being divided in itself. To the students of Suzuran, it is better to be a free Crow than to be a bird of paradise trapped within a gilded cage. And free they truly are.

An epic story full of deep and surprisingly rich characters that details the rise of Harumachi Bouya, a newcomer to Suzuran. The story will sweep you off your feet, be it with the emotional and brilliant storyline or be it with the hilarious comedy it is interspersed with. Hiroshi Takahashi's first manga, Crows became a massive hit in Japan and Korea. And with good reason. There are many many dynamics in the city of Crows. Including rival schools who would love to take Suzuran down a notch, a gang of badass bikers who will stomp down anyone who dares stand up to them, and delinquents from neighboring regions vying to see who is truly strongest. As Bouya's reputation continues to soar, the list of Suzuran's enemies continues to grow. The roller coaster ride will take you up and not let up for even a second.

Read this comic book and I assure you, your blood will be burning from start to finish. I wont be too surprised if you feel like punching someone and go “HORRRRAAAA!” by the end of it.

Further reading

Hiroshi Sensei is pretty much on top when it comes to the Delinquent genre. Crows was just the beginning for him. After Crows and the Gaidens, he wrote another brilliant series called QP. And after that he came out with Worst, another manga based in Suzuran serving as a spiritual sequel to Crows. Read them all without fail.

Also not be missed the movies Crows Zero 1 and 2, set in the Suzuran universe before the events of the comic. The movies are an epic telling of the sagas that unfold in the school of crows.

Epic being the keyword.

(To be concluded)