Urasawa Naoki - 20th Century Boys, vol. 01-03

[oyceter]

Most people (me included) have been reading Urasawa's Monster, which is a good series on serial killers and what makes people monsters and what keeps them from being monsters. I like Monsters a lot; I think it's a well-written, solid series.

But so far, I absolutely adore 20th Century Boys.

rilina has already pointed out that this series seems to be comprised of all of Urasawa's cool bits. So far, I'd say his cool bits are: rock and roll, secret societies, cults, world domination, childhood games, memories and the importance thereof, laser guns, mysterious prophecies and prophets, and killer viruses. And I'm sure even more are going to pop up as the series goes along. In other words, this is crack on the level of Yuki Kaori, only influenced by sci-fi pulps and Godzilla movies instead of Gothic insanity.

I love it! It is awesome! It is totally insane!

Anyway, plot summary: Kenji, once a boy with a secret base and a teen with an electric guitar and rock-and-roll dreams, has now settled into adult life, runs a convenience store chain and takes care of his sister's baby Kanna, as no one knows who Kanna's father is or where Kiriko (his sister) went. But a virus that drains all the blood out of human bodies has appeared, several of Kenji's childhood friends have disappeared or died under mysterious circumstances, a cult run by a man who only calls himself "Friend" seems to be intent on world domination and monster robots, and everything seems to be connected to the stories that Kenji and his friends used to make up in their secret base.

This hits a giant button of mine; namely, the stories we tell each other as kids, the games we play, and how important they are. Also, there's a homeless man whom everyone calls "God," a book of prophecies, a giant hovering bomb-like thing with a creepy clown smile, and insane cultists. I'm very much looking forward to what Urasawa throws in next.

Comments

[rilina.livejournal.com]

Isn't it awesome? The crack just gets better and better.

[oyceter]

It is so awesome! I also just read three more volumes last night because it is so hard to put down.

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

I've been watching X, and a sword came out of a woman somehow (please, for the love of God, don't tell me how). Does it get any more weird than this?

[oyceter]

Er. Define weird?

X is definitely cracktastic though, if that's what you're asking.

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

Giving birth to a sword?

I don't mind crack, but is there anything that I'll have to cross my legs while watching?

[hysteriachan.livejournal.com]

...I just added this to my list of things to buy, and then realized I haven't heard of it being licensed. Is it? Or am I going off to hunt for "ahem" sources? ^_-

[rilina.livejournal.com]

It's licensed but not yet being released; Viz is planning on releasing it after they finished Monster. Apparently they wanted to do Monster and 20CB at the same time, but Urasawa asked that they not do the release simultaneously.

[hysteriachan.livejournal.com]

Given how much more there is of Monster, I guess I'm going hunting. ^^

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I was just about to ask that. Hmm, Monster is eighteen volumes, right? It will be years before this comes out in English. Damn.

By the way, I just started reading Monster, and am now up to volume 3. After the rocky start the extreme moustache-twirling villainny of the first volume caused me, it became very addictive.

[oyceter]

I don't think there are any more leg-crossing moments other than the sword, although (I'm not sure where you are in the series) there are more leg-crossing sword moments.

[oyceter]

Urasawa really knows how to write addictive plots! I mean, I found Monster pretty addictive, but it's got nothing on 20th Century Boys.