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wasa_mata's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'Issunboshi' with story and art by Ryan Lang is a graphic novel adaptation of a Japanese folktale.
In a feudal Japan where Oni and other demons live, a couple pray for a child. Their answer is a 6 inch boy who will be the hope of his people. Issunboshi trains with a blind samurai and learns that the size of the heart means more than the size of the warrior.
I enjoyed this story and the art is fantastic! My review copy was in black and white and I really hope that the final work is in color, but if it's not, it's still a darn good read.
In a feudal Japan where Oni and other demons live, a couple pray for a child. Their answer is a 6 inch boy who will be the hope of his people. Issunboshi trains with a blind samurai and learns that the size of the heart means more than the size of the warrior.
I enjoyed this story and the art is fantastic! My review copy was in black and white and I really hope that the final work is in color, but if it's not, it's still a darn good read.
ellenkyo's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
marta_98's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kitsuneheart's review against another edition
5.0
A retelling of Japans version of the tiny hero legend, but with higher stakes. Lang opted to intensify the story, while also removing a romance that would be problematic to modern audiences. Instead of having to save a kidnapped girl from an oni (and getting to marry her as a result), Issunboshi himself is the imperiled prize. His spirit is the last missing piece of a godly sword, and if he is captured, the oni will become as powerful as the gods of creation themselves.
This is just an overall very feel-good story. Issunboshi is your standard brave and noble hero, whose only flaw is being weak...when compared to a nearly all-powerful oni. He trains hard with a husband and wife team to learn strength and how to use another's strength against them, and he never flinches from the final battle. It's not a deep story, but it's comforting, and a good pick for a middle-grade or higher reader.
I love the dig taken at Momotaro at the beginning. I actually had to check if Lang had done a Momotaro comic already, since that is the more well-known of the two hero myths. But he hasn't, so perhaps that is to come! Or perhaps the antipathy towards Momotaro isn't just Issunboshi's opinion, but ACTUALLY the author's own, as well!
Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.
This is just an overall very feel-good story. Issunboshi is your standard brave and noble hero, whose only flaw is being weak...when compared to a nearly all-powerful oni. He trains hard with a husband and wife team to learn strength and how to use another's strength against them, and he never flinches from the final battle. It's not a deep story, but it's comforting, and a good pick for a middle-grade or higher reader.
I love the dig taken at Momotaro at the beginning. I actually had to check if Lang had done a Momotaro comic already, since that is the more well-known of the two hero myths. But he hasn't, so perhaps that is to come! Or perhaps the antipathy towards Momotaro isn't just Issunboshi's opinion, but ACTUALLY the author's own, as well!
Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.
kat703's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bobbi's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0