In today’s ever-changing comics industry, there are two universal truths. First and foremost, Dogman is an iconic comic of our time. The second is that more people are reading comics and online comics (also known as vertical comics) than ever before. Therefore, we at Comics Beat chose to embark on a new adventure: Bit’s Bizarre Adventure. Each week, three authors recommend some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. This week we get a tentative love story, a surprisingly optimistic zombie story, and of course, criminals.
supporting character love story
Writer/Artist: Akane Tamura
translate: Leah Surgent
Engraving: Chris Bergner
platform: comic key, Adzuki beans, snack, Comic Square, calligrapher
Nobuko is one of those people who has never been in the spotlight. She always overthinks and feels anxious when she meets new people. Now in her 20s, she works part-time in a convenience store. For the first time in her life, she has a crush on her co-worker Ellie. She couldn’t even have a conversation with a regular co-worker without blowing things up. For Nobuko, approaching Irie may be too much of an obstacle. Can she be promoted from supporting role to protagonist?
Tamura Akaneof supporting character love story is an ongoing slice-of-life romance manga with 19 volumes in English. It should be obvious from the volume count that, contrary to the usual shojo or romance manga that ends with the protagonists getting together, this series follows Nobuko and Irie’s relationship and life after graduation.
supporting character love story It’s a comic that readers either really like or find absolutely boring. Both protagonists are inexperienced and approach each other so slowly that calling them “baby steps” wouldn’t be enough. Every step towards the future is a huge obstacle for Nobuko and Irie. They took the time to overcome these difficulties bit by bit in their own way.
If you’re a reader who understands fictional works by their degree of connection to them, and you don’t identify with the relationship that develops, then you won’t like this comic. But I personally prefer to think of fictional works as laboratorySuffice it to say, I could read here an artist’s exploration of what might happen if such-and-such a character got into trouble. The hypotheses themselves intrigued me. Although I am very different from Nobuko or Irie, I still find supporting character love story Becomes a fun comic that I always look forward to reading.
I recommend this series to readers looking for a diverse romance manga with an incredibly cute art style that depicts journeys of self-discovery and slow-burn relationships. — Melvi Guire
ZOM100: Bucket List of the Dead
writer: Haro Aso
artist: Kotaro Takada
translate: captain nova
Retouching and lettering: Vanessa Sartone
Publisher: Visualization area
Being stuck in a dead-end job, working overtime, being underpaid, and living paycheck to paycheck can be exhausting. People dream about the life they would rather live. So much so that they might actually welcome the collapse of society if a zombie apocalypse occurs. Why wouldn’t the decline of civilization provide you with some opportunities when you’re forced to work overtime?
This is the premise ZOM100: Bucket List of the Dead. The author of this series is Haro Aso And by Kotaro Takadais a horror comedy that follows a group of survivors as they navigate their way through hordes of zombies in Japan. One of them is former office drone Akira Tendo. He decided that rather than live in fear of eventual death, he would try what he couldn’t do while chained to a table. So he makes a list of things to do before becoming the living dead. Dodging zombies and finding food is a breeze compared to tight deadlines and long hours at work.
Most post-apocalyptic fiction is depressing. ZOM100 Instead, we view the end of civilization from a glass-half-full perspective. While traveling through Japan, Akira gathers survivors determined to make the most of life. Everyone contributed their own bucket list goals, ranging from the predictable (meet the girl of my dreams) to the adventurous (find a fossil!) to the ridiculous (grow braids). Escape from zombies isn’t that bad as long as you have a goal.
Asu’s apocalyptic world always feels fresh. Zombies are always a threat, but they threaten like natural disasters. The characters enjoy life rather than mourn a world that will not return. At the same time, Takada balances horrific visuals (he drew some particularly ominous undead creatures) with very interesting imagery (the way zombie sharks run). ZOM100 A welcome addition to a genre in need of a fresh perspective. A zombie apocalypse can be scary; but at least you don’t have to go to work. — D.Morris
Tokyo Avengers
Writer/Artist: Ken Wakui
translate: Project Ceres (Seven Seas)
Engraving: Robert Huggins (Seven Seas)
Publisher: Kodansha America (digital); Seven Seas (print version)
Tokyo Avengers It is a polarized series. The premise is simple: the story follows a 26-year-old Hanagaki martial arts man who is pushed in front of a train and sent back 12 years to save his girlfriend from being killed by the violent Manji gang in Tokyo. He is weak in martial arts and is often beaten by people much stronger than him. But he has heart and determination, which makes up for what he lacks in strength. When he travels back in time, he expects to see a Tommen as bad as the version he knows now. Instead, he finds a group of friends with glorious ideals and a vision for a new era of crime, led by a boy named Mickey. The initial mission is to rescue his girlfriend, but then it becomes more difficult.
One of the reasons the series is so polarizing is the main character himself. Some readers were annoyed and frustrated because Wu Tong was not beaten, but he was crying. Does he cry more than the average shounen protagonist? perhaps. Is it that scary? not necessarily. Just because Budo cries doesn’t mean he’s emotionally weak. To expect one person to be able to save the world is a heavy burden on one’s shoulders. All this makes him nothing less than a hero. It’s also inspiring to see that, even though Takedo Know He is not as powerful as other gangsters and he is not destined to fail. It doesn’t mean he has to give up either. On the contrary, it made him more determined.
Time travel stories are sometimes criticized for their convoluted logic and the use of time travel itself as a plot device. Tokyo Avengers Certainly no exception; the ending in particular divided fans. But the time travel aspect makes it a very interesting series to read and watch. Every decision Takemichi makes in the past and every attempt to save someone leads to another tragedy in the present, leaving the reader to wonder if it’s possible to save everyone.
It should be noted that Toman uses the manji symbol as its gang symbol. This is no The symbol of a certain nationalist party in Germany, which appears in a different direction. The Manchu symbol was associated with Buddhism until it was used in the early 20th century, symbolizing the footprints of the Buddha. [Editor’s Note: For further reading.] — Liang Haoying
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