warniefn14

One of those series that isn't particularly exceptional at anything, but all the parts are solid enough to give it a very good base to work from. The art is decent, not great, same with the characters, villains and world building which feels like an industrial era Germany.

I suppose the strongest point about FMA is the bond between the brothers and their tragic backstory, it fits well into the narrative to form a basis of why they're doing what they do, rather than them just being a couple of stubborn headed kids who want to be a pirate or something. I disliked Winry and her awkward romance with Ed and their comedic moments left a lot to be desired. I give the show props for having a planned out beginning, middle and ending rather than inventing new villains and conflicts.

Overall it's a good manga but I slightly prefer the Brotherhood adaptation it's one of the few series that I think works better as an anime.

Not an overrated masterpiece but clearly a hollow one.

When the MAL user oOoOoOo wrote this in his MW review:

"While an interesting character sketch, I cannot say much for the story itself. Machinations and dramatic events often seem forced and unrealistic, compared to the more carefully plotted mysteries of "Monster"."

I have to admit I couldn't remove my bias even before I completed the first arc/chapter/plot event. (The way the story is told is via one huge epic. This could just have easily been a Resident Evil type of game, a film directed by Kubrick or a crime thriller novel and thus normal manga reviewing aren't as relevant to grasping the quality of this series)

In that initial bias, I so wanted to shout "overrated" and how this was another fake Hollywood made serial killer story and I dearly wanted to write a counter rebuttal to the above reviewer stating scene for scene why Monster's plots are more unrealistic, unlikely and forget forced - the characters literally are supermen who don't die and how reviewer keasty was right.

Truth of the matter is though, it does hold a certain charm. A certain finesse. It's probably even a better researched or recreated world than your average quality manga. The artist or the writer isn't very shy in creating the type of epics that would sell well towards those seeking a more defined taste of entertainment in their medium. In that sense it's very high quality work in the sense that the locations and the places are all different and the characters literally move everywhere in the world and they were able to avoid the repetitiveness of focusing on only one or two generic characters. In that sense, keasty might have undersold the idea of a mature Ash Ketchum hovering around the world. This is not your typical rpg or battle manga setting, every new location contains detailed minor characters.

I do however disagree with his review when he says this is more mature. No, the good doctor doesn't help solve anything. Your typical dark Batman strip or even Pokemon attempts to solve more mature problems than the main character in this series. Where it's able to disguise itself as a mature manga is by utilizing many of the same caricatures Award-winning Hollywood films utilize when creating a dark tortured character. Maybe slightly more original but not too much. Think Rambo + Jason Bourne + a doctor that's on par with Black Jack or House but dealing with less mature medical events and mostly involving him using his skills to win over common friends (who happen to be not so common)

It's this element that makes Monster a disappointing manga for those who are looking for a mature themed manga. The Emperor's New Clothes are there but in the end the main protagonist could just have easily disguised himself as the antagonist and the only difference in their heroics is his medical ability. (Which believe it or not is his trump card even at the end. You could even consider this manga a how to guide on how to conquer the world via reciprocity. It's all very Hollywood propaganda-ish like that - although I'm not claiming this manga is maliciously made - it's just cheap like that. The type of pseudo-intellectual inducing scenario that makes it sound original until you realize the lack of depth/strategy or actual background behind any of the events)

What makes this "un-overrated" though is that despite my complaints above, the middle point of this manga is mostly revolving around a conspiracy theory and in that aspect it's very good at playing with the whole Hollywood scenario. Think of it like a dual paradox. What I just wrote above complaining about is at the same time what the plot is addressing on the mystery side of the issue. It's very "plot within a plot/complaint within a complaint" like that and for that it is able to paint an epic semi-realistic dark fantasy that is only broken by the overall merging of all the elements.

In the end, read this manga only if you are planning to complete it. Regardless whether you hate the beginning or the middle or found this to be too long - you've just wasted your time if you don't do this. Treat this like a movie - if you're not willing to watch it till the end - you'll miss out on why you truly hate or love this and all you get is just one whole filler manga. Not because the ending ties things all up but because like a movie the first two stages are worthless unless you reach that 3rd stage of the plot. If you're not able to do this, well I'm not saying the manga couldn't be better in your eyes as the final product does take away many charming elements but suffice to say you won't really be able to fully understand the "canon" of this manga. (although honestly I was bored to tears by the whole series that I didn't bother to check out the novel with the epilogue interviews)

For those still unsure, my hint for why the latter parts of Monster are necessary revolves around a certain dark fairy tale artwork. If you like puppet master types of conspiracy - Monster doesn't have the detailed bite but it does possess one of the better barks. A bark that's good enough to judge this as a whole regardless of how silly/immature/disappointed you are with the series so far. Think of it as finally witnessing the "Monster" although not in a scary but interesting manner.

All the rest? Well, here's a summary of what makes Monster fake and Hollywood only:

-bad psychologists (not even if you don't know anything about psychology)

-super doctor (with little to no medical drama scenes to justify this)

-unrealistic mystery (literally it's one whole chase scene - the mystery revolves around the antagonist already being established in the seedy underground even though it's very unlikely that he should have gotten that far already even by fantasy standards)

-Hollywood minor characters (if you thought Hollywood protagonists were bad enough, the minor characters often edge them via doing some of the most ludicrous ways of surviving and I'm not even referring to those who get lots of return cameo scenes. Even those who died, you can't help but feel after the first couple murder scene every death becomes more and more stupid)

-It could have been way way better and more and more mature if only... (Again going back to MW, part of why it seemed realistic in MW despite it being fantasy was the viciousness and unpredictability of the deaths. Anyone who knows anything about serial killing knows it's the unlikely candidates that make the killings that much hard to locate. Even in terms of fantasy morality, Light Yagami of Death Note fame for example had more caution and strategy than the antagonist of this series even though there's barely any fictional super-weapon in this series and yet the antagonist is able to survive this far and this long. Finally characters are too sensitive despite their hardened background. If MW was preachy because of Tezuka trying to hone in on the severity of the events happening on the characters, Monster is preachy in the opposite manner. Guys have life changing moments despite the scenes being generic and yet they shit on their own revolutions one arc later once the plot doesn't call them to be relevant towards that previous scene anymore. It's like three dimensional fictional characters becoming two dimensional because instead of fully continuing character development - it's all this arc - growth - stop - next arc - growth and then stop and there's no rinse or repeat. It's all intended canon ending up being fillers not because it took too long but because it kept resetting the character's development.)

i came across this manga 3 years ago when it just started releasing and read the summary and thought this would be very stupid i mean a story about a guy who ends every fight in one punch how could it be good i was totally wrong.This has become one of my favorite manga to read you are really messing out on something good if your not reading this.The story is simple and straight forward and for me isn't really what makes this manga great,its the characters.The main character saitama has become one of my favorite characters because of how he acts.Because he has become so powerful he has lost the adrenaline you get when you fight someone and now it just bores him.This manga is a parody of the typical shounen manga where you have to train to beat the bad guy saitama is already at end of series,he is already at his strongest and how he got so powerful is hilarious.What also makes this manga so good is the artwork.The artwork is godlike one of if not the best i have seen in manga and i have seen some very good artwork throughout reading manga such as berserk or vagabond.And this manga has countless hilarious moments.And the reread value is extremely high i have read this manga over 3 times and i was hooked everytime.

I picked up this manga randomly on a whim, and it ended up to be one of the best manga I have ever read in my life. I recommend this manga to—EVERYONE! The story itself is very very intriguing and unpredictable, and in no time I quickly found myself became deeply connected with the characters. The art is also beautiful. There’s a little bit of romance in this, however it is not the main plot. By the end of the manga I felt like I’ve been through a life-changing journey with all of the characters. It was fun to read too because of the mysteries throughout the manga. This manga is however very old, thus why it’s not well-known. But it’s really amazing and I wish more people would read this.

"Hey let's make an ecchi series"

"But ecchi is so overrated and mainstream, I doubt we can make it any more interesting"

"How about we add some serious sh*ts in this series"

"Like what"

"Let's add psychological and suspense to make this thrilling, and add some horror elements too like plot twists in the first few chapters"

"Wait, isn't this a completely different series? Is it even an ecchi?

"No, the story is focused on ecchi elements"

"Are you saying you want to make some High School of the Dead kind of story?

"That sh*t is good, a true guilty pleasure series, but no, let's make the ecchi genre an essential plot device and not some meme kind of things like in the High School of the Dead"

"Can we make a story like that?"

"Yes, yes we can"

Basically, that's the gist of it, at least from the first 5 translated chapters. They made ecchi as the central focus of the story (Like literally, just read it), and there are psychological elements everywhere.

At first, you might not understand what's going on, but slowly you'll be able to. I'll give a 5 as of now since there aren't too many chapters that are being translated, but it has potential.

If you can read Japanese, I believe the series is already completed.

It's just: what de fack? What's with this story? What are happening in these minds? Things go slowly and derstandable. I'm not usually come to art. However, it's suck at this rate.
Urgh, I don't know what more to say. It keeps me write longer and longer. Suppose it's done? Nah, not yet. Haven't done yet. Come on! I'm not an English speaker. Let me just submit this. Come on! C'mon! Ka-mon. What else? Damn mit.
This manga is terrible, that's all! I have nothing to say now. Come on! Just let it submitted. It's not worth being long written. This enough. Too enough.

Initially, the story line is quite strong and substantial, following the cliches of your run of the mill slasher flick. However the English translator for the manga greatly deteriorated and diluted the plot as he attempted to infuse a plethora of racial and political comedy. An example of this would be the introduction of the character of Naruto's father, whom the reader will discover to be a representation of Donald Trump.

I believe that the manga had potential to constitute the unfairness of the aristocrats/upper class, however by the cheap and offensive comedy, the meaning behind it completely falls apart.

If you enjoy graphic gore with elements of psychological horror then you might be able to look past the weak and cheap development of the plot and find pleasure in this series, which I have personally done.

Overall I believe that this was a beautiful piece of art, in terms of the immense details used when drawing the panels, yet the story could of been done significantly better. 7/10 is my generous rating.

Do you like feet? Do you find them... sexy? Then go ahead and read the One -shot that came out before this manga. It will fulfill all your foot fetishy needs without wasting your time. It is to the point, short, and kinda provocative I guess. In comparison the full version of this manga is nothing but an uninteresting slog that was a complete waste of my time and sanity.

Story: The story is a perfect example of a Romantic "Comedy" spinning its wheels until its forced to rush to the end at a lightning pace. For the first 55 chapters of the series, almost no progress is made before the author managed to force a really rough ending out of the last couple chapters. My best guess is that it was axed and forced to end prematurely. That being said I am not surprised that it was cancelled. The story was altogether dreadful and uninteresting in the slightest. Every chapter just tried its best to bend the foot girl in the most provocative way possible that it started to feel repetitive and boring. The only reason I managed to finish it was because I justified it to myself with its short length.

Art: The art isn't anything particularly special and ends up feeling gross more than ever. The girls are drawn in the most uncomfortable way possible with an emphasis on sweaty feat, puffy crotches, and taped on breasts. Maybe its just because none of those things are my fetishes, but I ended up just feeling gross and uncomfortable for most of my time reading it.

Characters: Here we have on display several large pieces of paper with sweaty and physics defying feet. The main guy character is also a sheet of paper with the small quirk that he really likes animals. That actual quirk is probably the most interesting thing about any of the characters here. All of the major cast members are uninteresting and leave a lot to be desired.

End: I think I've more than succinctly summed this up. In the end I suggest finding some well drawn foot fetish related hentai instead. It'll probably give you what you want without a bland story that doesn't go anywhere getting in the way.

Really?

That's the first word that comes into my mind as I think about this manga. We can see it tagged firstly as a comedy. I mean it tries, it really does. But when I read a comedy, is it so much to ask that I laugh? Maybe if I was high (and I mean REALLY high, like so messed up I smoke the wrong end just for fun) it would be funny. Any other time and....0_0

STORY: Do you remember that piece of bread that fell to the bottom of the pantry that you never bothered to clean up? Remember using it 6 months later to cut diamonds? Yeah, the story's that stale. The whole "magic girl" thing has been tried WAY too many times. Sometimes, like in Ah my goddess, it can be pulled off. But no, it falls on its ass and doesn't even try to save face.

ART: Dreadful. Really, it's the worst looking manga to ever grace my computer screen. You know the old saying "If you put a monkey in front of a typewriter it'll eventually write Shakespeare"? Well I think they actually did it. Only they pulled the pages away after the first draft/shit stain. UGLY!!!

CHARACTERS: The main female lead is named Milky for God's sake! WTF!! It's actually a good name for her if you think about it. She's not quite transparent because of all the random attempts at comedy the author tries to use her for, but she's one dimensional. "Milky" all the way through.

As for the other characters, I can't even find a personality. They act erratically and without and kind of...sense. Maybe that's the writer's kind of humor but it sure as hell isn't mine? I don't read manga when I'm baked. Not everything's funny. Deal.

ENJOYMENT: Hmm... maybe I enjoyed it when I stopped reading. Kinda like hitting your toe with a hammer now that you mention it...

Really, there's no redeeming value of any kind to be found in the manga. There isn't a story, the art sucks, the characters are only there to support the author's comedy that only appeals to stoners. There's a million better things to read than this fail of a manga. Oh! Here's one! Click that helpful button down below!

So here's a weird one. I stumbled upon this manga by complete accident and seeing as it was 4 volumes long, it couldn't be too bad. Turns out it's pretty good.

It's a well-known fact "delinquent manga" is usually a bunch of badass, tough, cool looking dudes punching the hell out of each other repeatedly while screaming about WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MAN, and while those are super fun to read and nail some really important parts of being a man growing up, Yankee Juku e Iku nails the side that people don't usually acknowledge.

"Teens are so stupid and absolutely not badass."

Ikariishi himself is an ugly idiot known for being the strongest delinquent and winning just about every fight, YET he's a pretty mellow guy who just wants to go to college. His friends and the other people around him are equally as ugly and stupid, just like teenagers are, and they act like teenagers do, down to the absolute immaturity of some of them.


Like the only other review for this says, it's a very blunt manga. These are real teenagers being idiots messing around, and Ikariishi is a surprisingly great character despite all that. Seeing the kindness and spirit behind people's faces is a message that's as old as time but very few works actually pull it off as well as this one.

I'd say give it a try, it's extremely fast to read with maybe 2-5 speech bubbles each page at most. At best you walk away with a better understanding of people, at worst you wasted maybe 1-2 hours of your time. Regardless of the outcome you'll most likely remember it in some way.