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larakaa's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The best shonen like I've read in years. Not only are the characters diverse and interesting, the world and the story are exciting, mysterious and there's a ton of action.
kintara81's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.5
Clock Striker, now in graphic novel format, follows Shonen manga’s first Black female lead hero, Cast, in her quest to become a member of the SMITHS, the legendary warrior engineers. Cast dreams of being a SMITH, and though she’s rather handy with her tools, no one in her small town ever realizes their dreams. Besides, these legendary warrior engineers haven’t been seen in years and were never known for having female members. Fortunately, Cast meets one surviving member named Ms. Philomena Clock, who agrees to take her on as her apprentice, or striker. Now Cast is thrust into one deadly adventure after another! From cybernetic desperadoes to technology thieves and more, Cast has to use her mind and her remodeled robotics-lab prosthetic hand, which offers unfathomable offensive power in the form of scientific experiments. Need lightning? Cast can generate it from her hand! Cast’s mentor seeks to uncover an ominous mystery that explains what happened to the SMITHS and shines a light on a hidden power that may be within Cast herself. Can Cast become a new member of the SMITHS? More importantly, can Cast survive the process to become a SMITH?
I really enjoyed this interpretation of the Manga as I have yet to try any of the titles in that genre. This was an uplifting and inspiring story of how a young girl can be who she wants to be even with her limitations and people not believing that she is able to complete her dream. It follows her from school to getting an apprenticeship which leads to her being involved in fighting crime. Cast is the character which I resonate with the most and she is the one that links the story together and keeps everything cohesive. This is a fast paced story which is engaging and it has made me interested enough to continue with the series if more of it.
danicashelflove's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
unicornsbookshelf's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
3.75
Disclaimer: I have voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy from the publisher via Edelweiss+, thank you!
I've heard about this manga around and I wanted to check it out. I wasn't disappointed. It has a lot of action, as expected of a shounen manga, a protagonist with a very strong drive to achieve their dreams, and a cool setting. It took me a moment to realize it's read left to right not right to left, hence I was confused for the first two pages and my eARC was a little blurry so I often had a hard time seeing the action scenes clearly but that's not really the fault of the book. Clock Striker gives us a solid, lovable black female protagonist and her eccentric mentor, who is a kickass older lady, neither of which I have seen in a shounen manga before. The steampunk world with forgotten technology and the mystery of Cast's origins are intriguing and promise very interesting discoveries in future volumes. I'd definitely pick it up and read it again physically when it already comes out.
I've heard about this manga around and I wanted to check it out. I wasn't disappointed. It has a lot of action, as expected of a shounen manga, a protagonist with a very strong drive to achieve their dreams, and a cool setting. It took me a moment to realize it's read left to right not right to left, hence I was confused for the first two pages and my eARC was a little blurry so I often had a hard time seeing the action scenes clearly but that's not really the fault of the book. Clock Striker gives us a solid, lovable black female protagonist and her eccentric mentor, who is a kickass older lady, neither of which I have seen in a shounen manga before. The steampunk world with forgotten technology and the mystery of Cast's origins are intriguing and promise very interesting discoveries in future volumes. I'd definitely pick it up and read it again physically when it already comes out.
jkw7072's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
ARC provided by NetGalley.
I originally heard about this manga from a session with Saturday AM and was absolutely THRILLED to see it on NetGalley. It is geared more middle grade/lower high school but I think it’ll thrive in my high school. I love the disability rep (although a bit tropey with her mechanical arm), a Black female lead as well as her absolute love and knowledge of math and science. #womeninstem Cheesy at times, this new manga really touches on a lot of what anime and manga fans love. I’m really excited for Saturday AM in general gracing my library and think this was a phenomenal first book. I really look forward to reading the rest of the series. We love diverse manga!!!
I originally heard about this manga from a session with Saturday AM and was absolutely THRILLED to see it on NetGalley. It is geared more middle grade/lower high school but I think it’ll thrive in my high school. I love the disability rep (although a bit tropey with her mechanical arm), a Black female lead as well as her absolute love and knowledge of math and science. #womeninstem Cheesy at times, this new manga really touches on a lot of what anime and manga fans love. I’m really excited for Saturday AM in general gracing my library and think this was a phenomenal first book. I really look forward to reading the rest of the series. We love diverse manga!!!
royallyreading's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
reading_seas0n's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
lastblossom's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
With fun characters and clean art, Clock Striker is an ode to the classics of shonen manga while retaining a spirit and vibrance all its own.
Thoughts
High school me would have been ALL about this. Current me is pretty invested, too, if we're being honest. This has all the shonen manga goodness that I love: shadowy organizations, a badass sensei, fighters who shout attacks, super powers, mysterious pasts, and a spunky hero with a heart of gold to hold it all together. And Cast really does hold the story together. Her enthusiasm for learning and her love of helping people are infectious, and I was cheering for her the whole way through. Her teacher Ms. Clock is a delightful enigma, equal parts proper and sinister, with some of the coolest panels in the whole book. Clock Striker's first volume covers a lot of ground, often using interwoven storylines and flashbacks to get to the meat of the plot faster. The fast pace means world building isn't as in depth as it could be, but I suspect we'll get a lot more detail in the future, especially with an incredible end of book stinger (be sure to read past the credits!). Art is equally excellent. Character designs are consistent, with clean line art, strong expressions, and dynamic fight scenes, making this a very easy read. Strong recommend for anyone who likes shonen manga.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
With fun characters and clean art, Clock Striker is an ode to the classics of shonen manga while retaining a spirit and vibrance all its own.
Thoughts
High school me would have been ALL about this. Current me is pretty invested, too, if we're being honest. This has all the shonen manga goodness that I love: shadowy organizations, a badass sensei, fighters who shout attacks, super powers, mysterious pasts, and a spunky hero with a heart of gold to hold it all together. And Cast really does hold the story together. Her enthusiasm for learning and her love of helping people are infectious, and I was cheering for her the whole way through. Her teacher Ms. Clock is a delightful enigma, equal parts proper and sinister, with some of the coolest panels in the whole book. Clock Striker's first volume covers a lot of ground, often using interwoven storylines and flashbacks to get to the meat of the plot faster. The fast pace means world building isn't as in depth as it could be, but I suspect we'll get a lot more detail in the future, especially with an incredible end of book stinger (be sure to read past the credits!). Art is equally excellent. Character designs are consistent, with clean line art, strong expressions, and dynamic fight scenes, making this a very easy read. Strong recommend for anyone who likes shonen manga.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Gun violence, Violence, and Ableism
Minor: Child abuse, Classism, Trafficking, Death, and War
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