2 teens dies via "subway attack," finds themselves in a room somewhere in tokyo with some other people. they are then sent on missions to kill aliens by a weird black ball. I read this manga because i liked the anime adaption and wanted more of it. To my amazement, these 383 chapters delivers the most intense and interesting science fiction I have ever gazed upon.
Story:
10/10 every large story arc is unique and great in its own way.
Each arc presents a different set of problems and rules our protagonists must endure or bypass. The setting is almost never the same, and the intensity of each battle only ever increases. the scifi side of the story questions many things we do as a society, our humanity, our purpose and future. the story also touches many other subjects such as crimes, education, and many social issues; leaving you thinking what "it" really meant.
Art:
9/10 during the first few chapters the art seems fairly average. However, as the manga progress to its later stages, the "art" becomes so amazing in every aspect. the characters are uniquely drawn, while they are all different, each group shares its own style. the settings (includes the area the plot is at + atmosphere + other art words) is just astonishing, this I simply cannot explain with out spoilers so go see for your selves (art major here if u want any credentials).
Character:
10/10 main characters basically pushes the whole "hero's journey" to a whole different level. all and I mean all side characters adds some kind of value to the story. Even the comic relief characters are important! (ok maybe the panda is pushing it a little) the author had these characters do exactly what they need to in order to add their weight to the plot. these characters also have a huge variety of backgrounds from students to politicians to criminals and even infants.
(oh god Kei gat so bad ass durin the last half im startin to question my sexuality)
Enjoyment:
10/10 knees weak, arms are heavy. There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti. 2 intense 4 me. jokes aside, this whole thing can sent you through a full range of emotions such as anger, sadness, joy, spaghetti
Overall:
10/10 so far I have read the whole thing twice and interpreted its ending twice. the plot follows a typical science fiction writing style blending perfectly with amazing shonnen like battles and adult action movies. I think neither the anime nor the movie interpretations did this series justice, so I strongly suggest reading it.
p.s. very violent and sexual in some parts, not for the faint hearted