Reviews

Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 1: Friends by Naoki Urasawa

sofcore's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

oboemeister's review against another edition

dark mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

asparkofc's review against another edition

4.0

Did I understand everything that was going on? No. But were the vibes good? Yes.

khaddock's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

twist_up's review

adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

crucialxdave's review

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced

4.25

mollika_m's review against another edition

4.0

Rarely has a manga grabbed my attention so fully the way 20th CB did. I was constantly on the edge of my seat reading the entire series. I've just finished reading this and have volumes to write about the final arc and the ending, but man. This was an experience.

bruhbruh's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

lunchlander's review

4.0

After loving Monster, I was anxiously awaiting the two new Naoki Urasawa series from Viz. The first volume of 20th Century Boys doesn't disappoint. Like Monster, it's got a slow-burn opener, but it's full of potential, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

The easiest comparison is to a Stephen King story, with a tale of young boys having shared secrets and a made-up secret society, only to discover in their adult lives that those childlike playtime behaviors are having more sinister real-world effects. Urasawa builds a compelling cast of characters and really sells the creepiness of "The Friend's" cult.

Kudos also to Viz for giving this the deluxe treatment, with flaps and a slightly oversized printing.

vanadio's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0