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A review by grilledcheesesamurai
Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 1: Friends by Naoki Urasawa
4.0
I reeeeeeally loved this. I admit I have had the first 3 volumes on my shelves for quite some time now but I never started them because I was afraid I would be let down. Better to just have an image in my head of what they were then to actually read it read it and be disappointed.
I know. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Don't think about it. Just know that I actually have to live this way and you get to just move on.
I got some strong Stephen King vibes off this first part of the story. It felt like a blend of It and Stand By Me. Not plot wise but rather how the story jumped back and forth between childhood and then 30 years later adulthood. The characters in this volume really stood out to me and gave me the feels. So often I read a manga and I am just kind of...meh. This one had me chuckling in places (like for realz - which never happens) and also emotions of sadness when our little group loses a friend of theirs to suicide.
This first volume isn't a big action feast. It's a coming of age story, a story of looking back, a story of friends, and...well...there is this whole cult thing going on in the back ground which is slowly revealing itself page by page that is probably what the whole point of the actual story will turn out to be about.
All I know is this first book is a helluva introduction to a 22 volume story. I can only hope that this level of narrative stays as strong all the way through as this first volume. If it does - this could well end up being my favorite Manga of all time.
I guess we'll see. Onto volume 2!
I know. That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Don't think about it. Just know that I actually have to live this way and you get to just move on.
I got some strong Stephen King vibes off this first part of the story. It felt like a blend of It and Stand By Me. Not plot wise but rather how the story jumped back and forth between childhood and then 30 years later adulthood. The characters in this volume really stood out to me and gave me the feels. So often I read a manga and I am just kind of...meh. This one had me chuckling in places (like for realz - which never happens) and also emotions of sadness when our little group loses a friend of theirs to suicide.
This first volume isn't a big action feast. It's a coming of age story, a story of looking back, a story of friends, and...well...there is this whole cult thing going on in the back ground which is slowly revealing itself page by page that is probably what the whole point of the actual story will turn out to be about.
All I know is this first book is a helluva introduction to a 22 volume story. I can only hope that this level of narrative stays as strong all the way through as this first volume. If it does - this could well end up being my favorite Manga of all time.
I guess we'll see. Onto volume 2!