A Manga Review

When I was in high school I was addicted to anime and manga.  I was one of those semi-goth kids who loved Japanese culture more than my own some days.  Most of those days are gone now, but from time to time I still re-read favorite manga or discover a new series.

Lately my coworker/friend has gotten me hooked on a couple new series, well new to me.  Here are reviews for the first books of those two series.

Title:  Hellsing, Vol. 1
Author:  Kohta Hirano
Rating:  5/5

Summary:

There's a secret organization somewhere in England created to defend the Queen and country from monsters of all sorts. Yes, it's hard to believe in this day and age... but really, isn't this the true age of monsters? Enter Hellsing, an agency, long in tooth, with the experience, know-how, and... er... equipment to handle the problems that arise when vampires, ghouls, and the like take on these dark forces. "What equipment?" you may say. How about another vampire, and a big pistol loaded with special silver bullets? That oughta do the trick. But what really knocks 'em dead is the sharp wit, awesome artwork, and crazy, bloody action that make up the manga.

Review:

I saw the entirety of the original anime before I began reading this series, and might I just say that the books are better!  The combination of serious and hilarious with this story line is fantastic.  And the main character, on the cover, is a vampire, whose name is Alucard.  Look at that name now, what's fun about it?

His name is Dracula.  He is Dracula.  And he is fantastic

Title:  One-Punch Man, Vol. 1
Author:  One; Yusuke Murata
Rating:  3/5

Summary:

Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem—he just can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on! Every time a promising villain appears, he beats the snot out of ’em with one punch! Can Saitama finally find an opponent who can go toe-to-toe with him and give his life some meaning? Or is he doomed to a life of superpowered boredom?



Review:

Holy crap is this book stupid!  It's hilariously stupid though, like Monty-Python level stupidity.  The art is nothing like on the cover, it is rather simplistic, however it's not bad.  So far the series is six books long (translated into English that is), and there is about thirteen episodes of the anime subbed (no English translation that I'm aware of yet).

I don't know if I'll make it through this series, but I'll give the next book a shot because Saitama is hilarious, and Genos promises to be equally funny and stupid.