Go NagaiCritiques

Questo bel volume mi è stato regalato, e lì c'è stata la mia prima reazione di sorpresa: "la Divina Commedia sotto forma di fumetto?!" ho pensato. E in effetti, avendola già letta e studiata nella sua forma originale non ho potuto fare a meno di sorridere nel vedere i fumetti spigolosi e alcuni altri passaggi.

Però, secondo me, a quest'opera vanno due meriti: il primo riguarda il rendere accessibile un'opera monumentale a tutti, voglio dire, se ai ragazzi si desse questo libro da leggere per le vacanze, sicuramente imparerebbero tutta l'opera in un batter d'occhio!; il secondo riguarda invece le illustrazioni che si richiamano allo stile di Gustave Doré: un omaggio indispensabile e del tutto all'altezza.

Torna in Italia, in una nuova prestigiosa edizione, la trasposizione cartacea di una delle serie robotiche che hanno fatto la storia dell’animazione giapponese nel nostro paese.

Torna in Italia, in una nuova prestigiosa edizione, la trasposizione cartacea di una delle serie robotiche che hanno fatto la storia dell’animazione giapponese nel nostro paese.

Dopo Mazinga Z, Jeeg Robot d’Acciaio e Goldrake, Go Nagai firmò un altro grande capitolo della sua epopea di gladiatori meccanici: Jushin Ryger. Un’entusiasmante saga in cui la battaglia tra il bene e il male si protrae sul nostro mondo dai tempi del mito. Per difendere l’umanità dalle forze demoniache dell’Impero del Drago, Ken Taiga, erede del dio benevolo Argama, indossa la bio-armatura di Jushin Ryger, divenendo un tutt’uno con questa divinità animale. Un manga robotico in puro stile nagaiano, pubblicato in Italia da Hikari in un unico volume, dal quale ha tratto origine l’omonima serie animata televisiva!

I really did not care for the Hitler chapter. Other than that, I found it mildly entertaining.

Historicamente importante para a consolidação da ideia de mecha, no meio do mangá, temos aqui um grande "vamos lá", chutando qualquer verossimilhança e necessidades de amarração de roteiros maiores em prol de um desfile absurdo de robôs, lutas e personagens picarescos. Nisso, Nagai consegue ser divertido e desprendido, e talvez esse desprendimento tenha levado à brilhante e bizarra escolha quanto ao episódio 1 do anime shin mazinger z (que de resto, é apenas legal). Há algo de turbinado, de juventude motoqueira e rachas no espírito do quadrinho. Mas mesmo com suas portentosas páginas, segue rapidamente, pedindo já os outros volumes.

This is the first volume of two for Devilman composing parts of both of Deviman (1972-1973) and Shin Devilman (1979-1981) by Go Nagai. I liked it and got used to the right to left Japanese reading style quickly (it was the first manga in this style, for me, all others have been the left to right Western reading style). I really enjoyed the 1970's Japanese art style you don't see too often in modern mangas.

What a bizarrely entertaining manga. About an android named Honey Kisaragi (aka Cutie Honey) who becomes a magical-girl-like superhero. In order to change here form and costume, unlike many manga of similar genre, Cutie Honey has to become naked in the posses. This manga could be considered erotica and despite it's female protagonists and antagonists it's was targeted towards teen boys. Overall, I thought the humor was funny with manly girls at an all-girls' school, weird lesbian undertones, and even a pathetic pant-less detective.

It contains chapters 1-6 and it is the first of seven tankōbon. So it isn't an impossibly long series :) The drawings are awesome and I really liked the story so far. I think it's a seinen manga, or at least Star Comics (the Italian publisher) has labeled this way, but Wikipedia says it is a shōnen.

4.5 stars

Dear Future-Me,

I know I know I know, the words 'classic' combined with your nerdy interest in manga and a hardcover edition are the ultimate catnip for you.

Stop it, you're not a cat. Control yourself human!

Yes it's a classic but there is a reason why you don't enjoy most of the classics: you can't handle the -isms. Even though the humour sounds a bit like you would enjoy, trust other reviewers. They mention things you really dislike.

Don't be a completionist. Spend your money on other unnecessary things, like snacks.

Greetings,

Past-Me

I love reading classic manga. Too often these are the manga that have shaped the industry we know today, but haven’t been published in English for decades, or maybe longer. Now, all that seems to be changing, and I am making sure I read as many as these fantastic manga as possible. Devilman: The Classic Collection Vol 1 by Go Nagai is a fantastic horror manga that has truly stood the test of time.

Devilman is the story of Akira, a high school student who gains the powers of a demon. These demons which once ruled the world were forever entombed in ice. Until now, at least. The only way to fight them is to wield their incredible powers against them. Together with his friend Ryo, Akira is willing to do just that.

I really enjoyed this manga, and am very happy I got a chance to read it. Sections of this manga grew much darker than I expected them to be, even knowing the general premise of the story. Devilman holds no punches in either its art or its storytelling. Characters are not immune to pain or suffering. Yet, this never seems egregious.

The art in this manga is interesting. This definitely fits within Go Nagai’s style, but might catch some American readers off guard. The characters have a more ‘cartoonish’ aesthetic than one might expect, especially from a horror manga. Not only did I enjoy the art style, I think it enhanced the horrific, frightening elements of the demons. The demons are grotesque, some looking more like the standard demon or monster but with many more having extremely creative, very different character designs. As cartoon-y as some of the normal human characters might be, the demons are not. They’re scary. They’re frightening.

A few sections did become a bit info-dumpy. The world building was fantastic in itself, and these sections did hold my attention. However, the characters weren’t doing much of anything except talk back and forth with does make the art just a little boring. Even so, the demons, their history, and the history of the earth itself is very interesting, and I enjoyed reading these sections. They didn’t turn me off from the story at all.

There are plenty of fight scenes in this manga. We get to see Devilman fight back against the demons. We get to see the human characters, mostly Ryo, fight as well. These sections are scattered with fantastic one and two page spreads. The demons are shown in all their horror.

The ending of volume one saw my attention waning as well. While each new adventure in this section was fun in itself, it did feel like the plot was a bit lost.

Even so, I will absolutely be reading the second volume in this series. It was fun, with some very interesting character designs, and remains one of the most influential horror manga. If you like horror manga or classics I would highly suggest checking out Devilman: The Classic Collection Vol 1 by Go Nagai.

This manga was obtained from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review originally found on Looking Glass Reads.

地獄篇。
原作を読みたいと思った。

異教徒は罪とされている。地獄の業火で焼き続けられる。
そこにダンテが疑問を持つのは、おそらく永井豪のアレンジであり、原作を読んで実際のダンテの態度を確かめたい。

キリスト教は、洗礼前の幼児は辺獄に行くのかどうか、などを真面目に議論している杜撰さがあり、そのうえでこのような来世観を現代の人がどう思っているのかは気になる。