"What I set out to do with Gon was to draw something that was more interesting than anything you could say in words. Manga still has great potential that does not exist in other media. I plan to continue developing the art of expression." - Masashi Tanaka

Gon follows the daily adventures of a little dinosaur with attitude - with the same name as the title - who was able to survive the catastrophic extinction that wiped out the other Jurassic animals all those years ago. This manga is one in a million; it has absolutely no dialogue, no human characters, and is set entirely in the wild, umpteenth years ago. The story is told entirely through the art, which is possibly the greatest challenge for a manga artist, as they would be unable to rely on dialogue to advance the story or to convey drama, emotions or character motivation. Masashi Tanaka succeeds in doing just this and more, however, which has earned him recognition as a storytelling genius.

The lack of dialogue in Gon is made up entirely in the art. The amount of time, precision and effort Tanaka puts into his artwork is clear at one glace. Every panel is incredibly detailed, bursting with life and full of realism. Tanaka is a master at drawing many things, but extremely efficient at drawing expressions in particular. The plentiful expressions he utilises for Gon and the other characters help expand their personalities and emotions, further expelling any need for dialogue.

The only characters that appear are Gon and a superabundant variety of animals. Gon appears in every chapter, but most of the animals are not recurring characters, which is fitting as each chapter Gon embarks (sometimes unwillingly) on a different adventure. Gon himself is surprisingly well developed and was also quite an iconic character back in the day, even appearing in the video game Tekken 3.

Though it might not seem it at first glance, Gon is a masterpiece. Publisher CMX word it marvellously; "its surface simplicity masks the true complexity of its execution." Gon's heartwarming, silent yet profound storytelling, exceptionally detailed art and wonderful characterisation make it a manga you won't forget in a long time.