Post by kakaihartyael on May 13, 2007 9:21:06 GMT -5
FIRST VOLUME (careerin vah?!)
(hahaha.. yaan nyo na ko.. babasahin ko nman to eh!!)
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad volume 1
by Harold Sakuishi
Tokyopop
Translated by Stephen Paul
Adaptation by Jay Antani
BW, 224 pgs w/ ads
$13.95 CAN / $9.95 US
Best of a genre
by Ikiria Era
Harold Sakuishi's Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad may finally be Tokyopop's answer to Viz titles such as Hot Gimmick, I's, Video Girl Ai, and (to a lesser extent) Hana Kimi. Like these titles, Sakuishi's manga, Beck, revolves around a wallflower, and follows the progress made as the individual starts to come out of their shell.
In Beck, said wallflower is Yukio Tanaka, a 14 year-old student who is ignored by everyone around him (except for his perverted friend, Tanabe). On top of this, Yukio has bad taste in music, as well as being a "grandma's boy". Yukio spends his days wishing for something to happen to him so his mundane life will change. It seems Yukio gets his wish when he (along with Tanabe) are caught peeping on the girls swim team. Specifically, Yukio is focused on Izumi Ishiguro, a popular and beautiful upperclassman, and perhaps the target of Yukio's unrequited love. Yukio used to play with Izumi when they were young; nowadays she ignores him. Unfortunately for Yukio, it is Izumi who not only catches them, but also recognizes Yukio. This of course causes Yukio (and Tanabe) to run off to the safety of the arcade. Eventually, Yukio, on his way home, comes across some thugs harassing an old lady. Naturally, being the "grandma's boy" that he is, Yukio stands up in her defense--and promptly gets beaten. Dejected and beat up, Yukio continues on his way home when he comes across a strange dog and its owner, Ryusuke Minami. Ryusuke is a member of a band called Serial Mama, and claims to have been friends with Eddie, the guitarist of the popular band Dying Breed. Of course Yukio runs off before he can find this out. The next day at school things get stranger yet for Yukio, as Izumi all of sudden wants to hang out with him after school. Eventually Yukio, Izumi, and some of her friends end up at a club, at which, Yukio runs into Ryusuke again. And it is this combination of Ryusuke and Izumi that draws Yukio out of his shell and into the world of rock and roll.
Of course this is only the tip of the iceberg that is Beck's story. And what a story it is. Sakuishi's writing is truly top-notch, as he really has a great sense of pace and characterization. Sakuishi takes the time to develop his characters, as well as their relationships to one another, which is part of the reason why Beck's story is so addicting. Speaking of characters, the characters in Beck are some of the best in the industry. Yukio Tanaka is an extremely likeable character, as he encounters numerous hurdles as he tries to make his way through unfamiliar terrain. Some of these hurdles are humorous, while others are just plain wrong. And as Yukio goes deeper and deeper into the world of rock, he encounters even more interesting characters. Izumi and Ryusuke are also interesting characters who play off of Yukio extremely well. They both also seem to have their own hidden reasons for getting Yukio to come out of his shell. Finally, Ryusuke's sister, Maho, seems like she will become a major character in the future, and will have a big impact on Yukio's life. Also, during this volume, Sakuishi drops hints at developing feelings between various characters, which is yet another thing that makes the story so addicting.
Another thing that Beck excels at is the artwork. It is clean and crisp, with the panels not being overly cluttered, which allows the story to flow smoothly. The character designs are nicely detailed, and I mean all of the characters (even the minor ones are detailed). Also, Sakuishi does an excellent job expressing emotions via his artwork. In fact there are numerous times where there are wordless panels; the artwork effectively does the "talking" itself.
In case my gushing enthusiasm isn't enough of a hint of what my thoughts about this manga are, I will sum it up in two words: must buy. Beck is indeed a must buy. It has strong characters, an addicting story, and excellent artwork. In fact, the only weakness I see is the fact that volume 2 doesn't come out until November (talk about a long wait). So, if you are a fan of I's, Video Girl Ai, Hot Gimmick, or Hana Kimi, then Beck is right up your alley. And if you aren't usually a fan of this genre, give Beck a chance: it is an example of not only the best of what the genre has to offer, but manga in general.
(hahaha.. yaan nyo na ko.. babasahin ko nman to eh!!)
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad volume 1
by Harold Sakuishi
Tokyopop
Translated by Stephen Paul
Adaptation by Jay Antani
BW, 224 pgs w/ ads
$13.95 CAN / $9.95 US
Best of a genre
by Ikiria Era
Harold Sakuishi's Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad may finally be Tokyopop's answer to Viz titles such as Hot Gimmick, I's, Video Girl Ai, and (to a lesser extent) Hana Kimi. Like these titles, Sakuishi's manga, Beck, revolves around a wallflower, and follows the progress made as the individual starts to come out of their shell.
In Beck, said wallflower is Yukio Tanaka, a 14 year-old student who is ignored by everyone around him (except for his perverted friend, Tanabe). On top of this, Yukio has bad taste in music, as well as being a "grandma's boy". Yukio spends his days wishing for something to happen to him so his mundane life will change. It seems Yukio gets his wish when he (along with Tanabe) are caught peeping on the girls swim team. Specifically, Yukio is focused on Izumi Ishiguro, a popular and beautiful upperclassman, and perhaps the target of Yukio's unrequited love. Yukio used to play with Izumi when they were young; nowadays she ignores him. Unfortunately for Yukio, it is Izumi who not only catches them, but also recognizes Yukio. This of course causes Yukio (and Tanabe) to run off to the safety of the arcade. Eventually, Yukio, on his way home, comes across some thugs harassing an old lady. Naturally, being the "grandma's boy" that he is, Yukio stands up in her defense--and promptly gets beaten. Dejected and beat up, Yukio continues on his way home when he comes across a strange dog and its owner, Ryusuke Minami. Ryusuke is a member of a band called Serial Mama, and claims to have been friends with Eddie, the guitarist of the popular band Dying Breed. Of course Yukio runs off before he can find this out. The next day at school things get stranger yet for Yukio, as Izumi all of sudden wants to hang out with him after school. Eventually Yukio, Izumi, and some of her friends end up at a club, at which, Yukio runs into Ryusuke again. And it is this combination of Ryusuke and Izumi that draws Yukio out of his shell and into the world of rock and roll.
Of course this is only the tip of the iceberg that is Beck's story. And what a story it is. Sakuishi's writing is truly top-notch, as he really has a great sense of pace and characterization. Sakuishi takes the time to develop his characters, as well as their relationships to one another, which is part of the reason why Beck's story is so addicting. Speaking of characters, the characters in Beck are some of the best in the industry. Yukio Tanaka is an extremely likeable character, as he encounters numerous hurdles as he tries to make his way through unfamiliar terrain. Some of these hurdles are humorous, while others are just plain wrong. And as Yukio goes deeper and deeper into the world of rock, he encounters even more interesting characters. Izumi and Ryusuke are also interesting characters who play off of Yukio extremely well. They both also seem to have their own hidden reasons for getting Yukio to come out of his shell. Finally, Ryusuke's sister, Maho, seems like she will become a major character in the future, and will have a big impact on Yukio's life. Also, during this volume, Sakuishi drops hints at developing feelings between various characters, which is yet another thing that makes the story so addicting.
Another thing that Beck excels at is the artwork. It is clean and crisp, with the panels not being overly cluttered, which allows the story to flow smoothly. The character designs are nicely detailed, and I mean all of the characters (even the minor ones are detailed). Also, Sakuishi does an excellent job expressing emotions via his artwork. In fact there are numerous times where there are wordless panels; the artwork effectively does the "talking" itself.
In case my gushing enthusiasm isn't enough of a hint of what my thoughts about this manga are, I will sum it up in two words: must buy. Beck is indeed a must buy. It has strong characters, an addicting story, and excellent artwork. In fact, the only weakness I see is the fact that volume 2 doesn't come out until November (talk about a long wait). So, if you are a fan of I's, Video Girl Ai, Hot Gimmick, or Hana Kimi, then Beck is right up your alley. And if you aren't usually a fan of this genre, give Beck a chance: it is an example of not only the best of what the genre has to offer, but manga in general.
