Rosy's scrawled manga recommendation: Gantz by Hiroya Oku

Gantz
Hiroya Oku

Blurb
Gantz tells the story of a teenager named Kei Kurono who dies in a train accident and becomes part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which he and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens. The missions in which they embark upon are often dangerous. Many die--again--on each mission, but they are replaced by others in the same manner as Kei Kurono's appearance.

Alternative names

ガンツ

杀戮都市

간츠

Status

Ongoing

Manga reader sites (free)

Manga Reader, Manga Fox, Manga Here

Rosy's scrawlings on Gantz

Gantz is an odd one. It is one of those stories where at the beginning nearly every element, when taken by themselves, is unpleasant or disturbing but you end up addicted, needing to read on and engaged. Few characters are likable - actually, only one is, there's sexism throughout, there's more naked chicks than female characters playing any significant role, sex and love are twisted in nearly every circumstance, there's a tendency for people to let others die in front of them without care, there's bullying and enslavement (when you get down to it) and so on. From the very beginning the story was rather repellent, with only the artwork to go for it.

But, and here's where things get odd, the pace of the manga is fast enough that you get sucked into the action, the stakes are high enough that you're left wondering if anyone could survive, the main characters slowly grow into ones you'd like and a few more likable characters join them. There's also the building of solid relationships under stress, an unbelievable enemy to be defeated and many a complex theme on war and surviving against incredible odds. They play or die theme mixed with play and die situations also keeps you guess as to what's next and who's going to even be around to fight. Through these points and more it is highly likely you'll become so engaged in the story you'll start to enjoy being able to tear apart characters, expand you're understanding of right and wrong and wonder if you'd have survived in the same situation.

It isn't, however, one for girls or women if they want to see female characters fighting, winning and surviving for long periods of time, all while being fully clothed. There's too many teary bouts, too much calling for some male or another, little characterisation other than beautiful with big tits or homely with small, too much hanging back and letting the men fight or running away, too much sacrificing of life for 'love', too many declarations of love and too much obsession over men. Not to mention the constant threats of rape and assaults. Also, there's way, way, way too many graphic pictures of naked girls bending over. Basically, it is over the top on sexuality with not nearly enough personality and gumption. This is rather frustrating for female readers as there's no one to identify with or support whole-heartedly. In fact, sometimes you're just hoping the females will die to stop all the blubbing and "I love you" babble.

Despite all this, it seems I am not the only one who became addicted to reading Gantz. It has been converted to anime and is quite popular. Even "quite popular" could be taken as an understatement. I'd rather expect the fan base to have a high boy factor as even many men would be fairly irritated by some of the above points (not all though as some boys never grow up in their hearts - sometimes good, sometimes bad). Luckily, the action really makes up for it, as does the sci-fi alien colonisation attempts element, so that Gantz doesn't appeal solely to boys.

The art of Gantz is created, using computers in some part, with an eye to accurate 3D representations of everything. In this it is really well done and because of this it is easy to get sucked into the story through the art more than the writing. There's a fairly high emphasis on balancing dark and light too, making the manga rather easy to look at. The lines are smooth and flowing, drawing you into the fight scenes, while the creatures portrayed are suitably outlandish to grab your attention. Expressions are fluid and variable, easily portraying the character's thoughts and emotions. The artwork of Gantz is unique for the amount of detail and the constant effort towards realism, even in the most unimaginable circumstances.

I'd recommend this manga to: boys mostly but otherwise anyone interested in alien attacks, teleportation, regeneration and all things violence. 

Notes on manga reader sites
The quality of manga readers can vary. The uploads are often done cheaply or as a serious hobby by a collective. Be aware that sometimes licence hasn't been given but the sites noted above, Manga Fox in particular, are extremely careful about adding and pulling mangas according to license agreements. So you shouldn't have to worry too much about the material being pirated. There are also translated works and non-translated. Amongst the translated works you will find that the quality of translation may vary according to the skills of the translators. Usually the works are perfectly readable anyway, with only a few added or dropped words or a word in the incorrect tense or with/out plurals. But sometimes the text becomes gobbledygook. In which case, either seek another version or give up and buy an official copy once a printed translation comes out. The other issue of note is you may need to expand the screen to read the text easily as sometimes the scans are minimised a little.
I find that if a page doesn't download properly or some other issue occurs (too slow or someone ordered the pages incorrectly etc.) with one reader then skipping across to another reader and picking up where I was is quite easy and rarely annoying.
Otherwise, enjoy and watch out you don't get too addicted you forget about the necessary things in life.

Rosy's scrawled manga recommendation: Gangsta by Kosuke

Gangsta
Kosuke

Blurb

You wanna get rid of someone? Nicolas and Warrick your two neighborly gangsters also known as “Benriya” are for hire!

Alternative names

ギャングスタ

Status

Ongoing

Manga reader sites (free)

Manga Fox, Manga Reader, Manga Here

Rosy's scrawlings on Gangsta

Judging on the title alone, as this is a different cover than the one I first saw, I started reading this thinking that the focus of the story might be mobs or gangs going about a war or some such. You'd expect it a little more considering this cover too. The cover I saw has these two men when young on it, leading to thoughts of two boys being drawn into gang wars, another typical manga plot. (I have included the cover with the older versions of these characters as the manga's for adults really.) All guesses proved wrong although these two can be called hard boiled and gangster-ish if you like.

Gangsta is the story of the two men who make up Benriya; Warrick and Nicolas, and their Alex, the prostitute/ex-prostitute. All three characters have seen more troubles than they'd like and all have or are managing to carve out a life for themselves. The relationships aren't simple, even for the two men who've known each other since childhood. Saying they like each other is too simple. None of their lives is what it could have been. Warrick could have been a rich heir but ended up a survivor or his father's abuse and the massacre of his family. Nicolas could have been an excellent soldier and warrior in control of his life but ended up hunted, maligned, drug addicted (not just dependant) and a mass murderer even to his own kind. Alex could have been a loving and protective older sister but she's a struggling survivor of prostitution, battling the effects of drugs forced upon her and struggling to remember what her history is. Still, things could have been a lot worse. As is, Warrick and Nicolas have an arrangement with those of the neighbourhood and even the police to act as hit men and odd jobs men whenever needed.

The story of these characters is light hearted at times, tragic or horrific at others and filled with violence. They don't always attract dangerous situations but, then again, they don't avoid them either. In fact, if they want to be paid or to escape jail, as the case may be, they have to tackle some odd and bloody jobs. Ultimately, the story has a finely tuned balance between light and dark elements, enough that this violent and thoughtful story is actually easy to read and addictive. I've recommended this story while it is still starting up, essentially, for this very reason. It has all the makings of a great manga story.

The art of Gangsta is somewhat similar to that which you might find in grittier romances rather than in hard core action and gangster mangas. There's a variety of styles used to expression emotions and emotional states but they all blend together well. The art is neither overly smooth or scratchy but has a depth and warmth to it that matches the variety of scenes  and themes. Overall, the art is attractive and shows the inner personality of the characters extremely well while also revealing a stark and yet crowded and ruthless world.

I'd recommend this manga to: adults who love good-hearted but ruthless gangsters or criminals, themes of discrimination and the eradication of a peoples, violence and characters with traumatic histories.

Notes on manga reader sites
The quality of manga readers can vary. The uploads are often done cheaply or as a serious hobby by a collective. Be aware that sometimes licence hasn't been given but the sites noted above, Manga Fox in particular, are extremely careful about adding and pulling mangas according to license agreements. So you shouldn't have to worry too much about the material being pirated. There are also translated works and non-translated. Amongst the translated works you will find that the quality of translation may vary according to the skills of the translators. Usually the works are perfectly readable anyway, with only a few added or dropped words or a word in the incorrect tense or with/out plurals. But sometimes the text becomes gobbledygook. In which case, either seek another version or give up and buy an official copy once a printed translation comes out. The other issue of note is you may need to expand the screen to read the text easily as sometimes the scans are minimised a little.
I find that if a page doesn't download properly or some other issue occurs (too slow or someone ordered the pages incorrectly etc.) with one reader then skipping across to another reader and picking up where I was is quite easy and rarely annoying.
Otherwise, enjoy and watch out you don't get too addicted you forget about the necessary things in life.

Rosy's scrawled manga recommendation: Freesia by Matsumoto Jiro

Freesia
Matsumoto Jiro

Blurb

Freesia is set in an alternative Japanese society that is at war, and has passed a law legalizing retaliatory killings. If somebody kills your loved one, you are legally sanctioned to kill, or hire someone to kill, the victimizer. The manga is set around a character who works for a firm that specializes in these retaliatory killings. 

Alternative names

フリージア

Status

Complete

Manga reader sites (free)

Manga Fox, Manga Here, Manga Anime

Rosy's scrawlings on Freesia

This story is for adults only. If you're a young one of any young age or mindset then just steer clear. I say this simply for your own benefit, not as one trying to hide things from you. This manga is far too twisted and contains sexual abuse of multiple characters, themes of insanity, multiple killings written in the form of hunting humans and more. Basically, it isn't even your average fare R rated movie with all that extra gore and guns blazing. This is truly off the scale twisted. Which does mean that when you're ready for it you'll probably greatly enjoy reading it. Just hold off for a little bit while you get used to the grades of themes and violence between what you can currently deal with and this. You'll get there in your own time, believe me.

For the adults who like dark psychological stories, this is what I have to say about Freesia. Basically, it is both repulsive and addictive, awesome and enthralling for all the wrong reasons. Freesia follows the story of Hiroshi Kanō, as best it can anyway. He's a man who could be classified as well and truly insane although just what he is is beyond me. An amalgamation of a few things probably. He hallucinates frequently, giving the Freesia episodes unexpected twists and turns that keep you wondering. He's mostly unlikable for his almost complete detachment from reality, a detachment that slowly begins to crumble thanks to the meddling of Higuchi, but once you meet the remaining characters you begin to really like him for his strange analysis of reality and his reflexive approach to dangerous situations. Sometimes he seems an impersonation of Death while other times he's the perfect blend or hunter and prey. Mostly he's just insane. 

Kanō also sometimes reminds me of Kevin from Sin City for the glasses.

Alongside Kanō are Higuchi who is a scout and manager of sorts for the firm and who is a gang rape survivor bent on creating chaos around her, Mizoguchi who is an insane sadistic hunter of humans and savage abuser of his wife, and Ichirō Yamada who is a man so trapped by his idealistic  approach to justice and morality that the reality of his own actions and crumbling world escapes him. Does it sound like there aren't any bright ones in this character list? You'd be right in guessing that there just aren't any in this whole manga. Ichirō Yamada is as close as you get. And the world of Freesia is just as dark and insane as the character, so don't expect anything like a flicker of light in this manga. Instead, expect to find yourself searching for just what reality is, what the expected morality is and whether there's anything good in any of us. 

I should not that I feel sorry for nearly every female character in it, my pity of Higuchi having worn rather thin what with her now being a manipulative one only interested in the confusion and misery of others. Basically, every female is exposed to abuse of one sort or another but all receive sexual abuse as well. There's rape, beatings, mental abuse, sexual training, enforced pregnancies and so on. I don't expect their treatment to get better either. Still, each character seems to find a way to survive, whether by denying it, buckling down, doing as demanded, using it for their own purposes or getting revenge. The range of responses is just as interesting as the fact that the author has chosen not to include many women without such treatment. The most amusing female character is Kanō's mother. I often begin to wonder if she's actually dead and Kanō's simply imagining she's alive when suddenly she jumps up and whacks him over the head with a rolling pin, calling him a demon while she's at it. She isn't far wrong. Either that or one of the other characters fails to point out she's dead.

The art of Freesia is generally dark and scratching, reflecting the variety of indefinable and strange mental states each of the characters experiences. The hallucinations are also drawn and sometimes you can't tell whether they are hallucinations or not, just as Kano doesn't always know. The art gives you just enough flashes and glimpses of reality to be able to ground yourself in the story all while providing are myriad of images from several character's perspectives, showing the distortions of reality they live with. The art, being of a scratching style, is gritty and impressionistic, showcasing the dark and disturbing story of Freesia extremely well.

I'd recommend this manga to: adults only and only those adults who like darker psychological stories filled with violence and disturbed mental states. 

Notes on manga reader sites

The quality of manga readers can vary. The uploads are often done cheaply or as a serious hobby by a collective. Be aware that sometimes licence hasn't been given but the sites noted above, Manga Fox in particular, are extremely careful about adding and pulling mangas according to license agreements. So you shouldn't have to worry too much about the material being pirated. There are also translated works and non-translated. Amongst the translated works you will find that the quality of translation may vary according to the skills of the translators. Usually the works are perfectly readable anyway, with only a few added or dropped words or a word in the incorrect tense or with/out plurals. But sometimes the text becomes gobbledygook. In which case, either seek another version or give up and buy an official copy once a printed translation comes out. The other issue of note is you may need to expand the screen to read the text easily as sometimes the scans are minimised a little.

I find that if a page doesn't download properly or some other issue occurs (too slow or someone ordered the pages incorrectly etc.) with one reader then skipping across to another reader and picking up where I was is quite easy and rarely annoying.

Otherwise, enjoy and watch out you don't get too addicted you forget about the necessary things in life.

Rosy's scrawled manhua recommendation: Feng Shen Ji by Zheng Jian He

Feng Shen Ji
Zheng Jian He

Blurb
The Great Shang dynasty has been in power for many years but the Gods' find fault with the new emperor. Instead of submit to their will at the expense of his people, the Emperor resolves to throw off the Gods' yolk and free humanity. However, not only the Gods but a rival, the young Zhou who submits to the Gods' will for his own purposes will face him! The fate of the dynasty, nay, the fate of all humanity will be determined by this great battle between the forces of Heaven and Earth!

Alternative names
封神記
Chronicles of the God's Order
The Legend and the Hero

Status
Ongoing

Manga reader sites (free)
Manga Here, Manga Reader, Eat Manga

Rosy's scrawlings on Feng Shen Ji

This manhua (Chinese manga) is just brilliant. It is in full colour and the effort that's gone into producing it is obvious right from the start. And impressive. The story of Feng Shen Ji is complex and involves characters and character stories that can't be called bog standard, as far as fantasy goes. The initial hero meets a sticky end and the one to pick up the reigns is someone you initially despise as selfish and self-centred far beyond what is acceptable. In fact, he even wishes his father would die and fails to see why he shouldn't take the eye or life of a slave at will. Let alone there being a problem with people being slaves at all.

The story of Feng Shen Ji revolves around the idea of the gods being not only real but often violently demanding and physically present to subjugate humans to their will. The gods enslave humans and force them to their will, slaughter the result for perceived slights let alone defiance. So what happens when an Emperor stands up and says "No more" to the gods? There is a prophecy floating about to make him sound all the more threatening and defiant to. What happens? The wholesale destruction of an entire country and its people. That's where the story of Feng Shen Ji truly begins, in the ashes of the old.

Feng Shen Ji is a full colour dramatic piece of the battles between gods and humans for rule and freedom. Both sides have much to lose but also a quagmire of complex situations to navigate, leading to the allegiances of gods and humans being unknowable until they act. Like any real war, the sides are nearly as well defined as propaganda makes out. This, along with many depictions of human depravity during war, slavery and turmoil, lends the story a realistic base. All good fantasy stories are built on elements of realism and here is a peak into the ugliness of humanity and humanities gods, relieved by glimpses of heroism, sacrifice and beauty.

The art Feng Shen Ji is gorgeous. It is produced by two artists: Cheng Kin Wo and Tang Chi Fai, who have great skill in combining colours and producing realistic images of the most fantastical creatures. Reds and oranges and yellows are used profusely to bring light and drama to the story even as darkness and shadow is woven in for the same purpose. The detail used is intricate and the pictures fairly glow with their own life.

And the best news: there are two sequel series to this manhua but you'll have to wait while they're all scanned and uploaded (hopefully, hopefully).

I'd recommend this manga to: lovers of high or epic fantasy, stories on gods and monsters, themes of revenge, honour and survival, play or die scenarios, and anti-heroes slowly coming good.

Notes on manga reader sites

The quality of manga readers can vary. The uploads are often done cheaply or as a serious hobby by a collective. Be aware that sometimes licence hasn't been given but the sites noted above, Manga Fox in particular, are extremely careful about adding and pulling mangas according to license agreements. So you shouldn't have to worry too much about the material being pirated. There are also translated works and non-translated. Amongst the translated works you will find that the quality of translation may vary according to the skills of the translators. Usually the works are perfectly readable anyway, with only a few added or dropped words or a word in the incorrect tense or with/out plurals. But sometimes the text becomes gobbledygook. In which case, either seek another version or give up and buy an official copy once a printed translation comes out. The other issue of note is you may need to expand the screen to read the text easily as sometimes the scans are minimised a little.

I find that if a page doesn't download properly or some other issue occurs (too slow or someone ordered the pages incorrectly etc.) with one reader then skipping across to another reader and picking up where I was is quite easy and rarely annoying.

Otherwise, enjoy and watch out you don't get too addicted you forget about the necessary things in life.

Rosy's scrawled manga recommendation: Gamaran by Yousuke Nakamaru

Gamaran
Yousuke Nakamaru

Blurb
Middle Edo Period - One state becomes the gathering place for sinful martial artists, who believe in nothing other than power, know of no other way of life other than letting oneself go wild in the battle. That state is the Unabara State, the 'Haunt of Demons' Washitzu Naosata, the ruler of the powerful state, Unabara, is looking for his successor. He calls upon all his 31 sons, and tell them to search for whoever they believe to be the strongest martial artist of all. Each of their chosen martial artists then are to fight against each other until only one is left standing. Whoever is the winner, whoever has the strongest martial artist in nation by his side will become his successor. Out in the midst of the mountain is the doujo of the 'Daigame Ryuu' (Giant Tortoise Style). There lives Kurogane Gama, the son of the legendary swordsman, Kurogane Jinsuke, who is believed to be able to kill 1000 martial artists in Unabara. There, one of the son of Washitzu Naosata, Washitzu Naoshi, comes in search of the legendary swordsman, only to find that he had gone missing several years ago. After seeing the battle style of Gama, he instead chooses to ask Gama to come with him. Wanting to become stronger, Gama agrees to his offer, and that marks the beginning of Gama's battle to become the strongest of all.

Alternative names
我間乱

Status
Ongoing

Manga reader sites (free)
Manga Reader, Manga Here

Rosy's scrawlings on Gamaran
This manga surprised me. I was expecting the story to be pretty much what it was and because of that I was wondering if I'd get hooked or not, given that overly predictable story lines tend to disinterest me. Unless there's something special hidden within. In this case there definitely is something special. Gamaran isn't just your average historical martial arts story with the boy out to take down his dad plot ("I am your father." "NOOOOOO!"), though these stories are quite fun enough when written well. (If you haven't read one yet then Gamaran isn't a bad place to start. It covers the basics quite nicely.)
What's special about Gamaran is that there is a wealth of detail on fighting techniques, although sometimes fantastical, that can be gleaned if you so wish. All you need to do is pay attention to how things are done and why more than what the moves are called and how impressive they are. In fact, the author actually tends to highlight this information, sometimes stopping the flow of a fight scene to explain what's going on and how it is done. At other times, the information is simply written beside the move as it happens. Either way, you will be inundated with information on anatomy and the basics of martial arts fighting.
I have to mention that in Gamaran the naming of techniques follows traditional manga styles. There are indeed ludicrous names like "Purple Lightning". What's purple about it, I don't know... This does add an element of humour to the manga, supported in part by some of the arguments the characters have. But only once, so far, have I ended up in hysterics. The scene involves and apple, a selfish girl and a perverted boy and it is an oh, so very twisted Japanese moment.
Gamaran is otherwise a surprisingly addictive story with flashy martial arts fights throughout, loads of gore and brutality, delightfully corny challenges and grandstanding. It is light reading, for sure, but rather enjoyable for it and the extra fighting information you come away with is quite a bonus. Having had a few years whirl at martial arts myself I can say that much of it is useful once you look past the silly names and the fact that you won't be fighting with a sword yourself.
The art of Gamaran is a little rough at times but mostly well produced and smooth. It is built of shades as well as black and white lines in order to emphasis emotions and movement. The art is at its best during fight scenes where movement becomes the focus.

I'd recommend this manga to: those who like action and adventure stories set in historical times, fans of martial arts and stories on manhood, morality, justice and physical strength. This manga will appeal mainly to boys but there's nothing stopping anyone else from having a read.


Notes on manga reader sites
The quality of manga readers can vary. The uploads are often done cheaply or as a serious hobby by a collective. Be aware that sometimes licence hasn't been given but the sites noted above, Manga Fox in particular, are extremely careful about adding and pulling mangas according to license agreements. So you shouldn't have to worry too much about the material being pirated. There are also translated works and non-translated. Amongst the translated works you will find that the quality of translation may vary according to the skills of the translators. Usually the works are perfectly readable anyway, with only a few added or dropped words or a word in the incorrect tense or with/out plurals. But sometimes the text becomes gobbledygook. In which case, either seek another version or give up and buy an official copy once a printed translation comes out. The other issue of note is you may need to expand the screen to read the text easily as sometimes the scans are minimised a little.
I find that if a page doesn't download properly or some other issue occurs (too slow or someone ordered the pages incorrectly etc.) with one reader then skipping across to another reader and picking up where I was is quite easy and rarely annoying.
Otherwise, enjoy and watch out you don't get too addicted you forget about the necessary things in life.