Hello!
Welcome to The Anime & Manga Review!
It has been my dream to create a world on TheO where users can go for anime and manga reviews and finally here it is! I plan to make this world an active, exciting and helpful place for learning about and finding entertaining manga and anime to read/watch.

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Its the first post of this world and will help you find your way!

~Tsubasachro
(aka Tsu)

Manga About Artificial Humans (Or Clones)

Ok Sorry for missing Saturdays post! I wish I could say its just cause I’ve been busy… (and I was a bit busy) but the truth is I got addicted to this ‘90s tv show by the name of Cybersix! It rocks and you should watch it free on hulu, but it isn’t what I shall be reviewing today. However, Cybersix did gave me a great idea for a Halloween~ish review! (if you want more of my reviews and other’s on some great horror manga check out Beloved Blood’s world Rein of Blood here)
However today we go a bit scifi!

Five Great Manga About Artificial Humans (Or Clones)
For those of you who don’t know an artificial human is one that is created completely from scratch and not through cloning or artificial insemination. And yes, because its Halloween and I’m looking at more mature level series that contain gore and/or nudity. So there shall be some mature series on this list. If you do not see yourself as able to handle nudity or adult situations be aware. The ones that are mature will be clearly explained. So enjoy and don’t hold that against them since these are all great!

5. MPD Psycho
--- MPD Psycho is an intense manga that is not for the faint of heart, but man is it awesome! It’d probably be higher on the list if it were not also super confusing! (I made a list of characters on a chart to keep track of this) MPD is more about the copying of the mind than of the body and follows the story of Kazuhiko Amamiya… or er maybe he’s Yosuke Kobayashi… Figured it out yet? MPD stands for Multiple Personality Disorder and man does this series take the idea and run with it! A really crazy and intense action packed horror/crime manga! It is mature for good reason! (And also awesome)
4. Akumetsu
---- Akumetsu is another action packed seinen manga. Unlike MPD, however, this one deals with cloning of the body and mind and what that means. If you die but your memories survive are you the same person? But lets put that aside, the main plot of this story follows a, by their own admission, “terrorist” group, that calls themselves “Akumetsu.” This is where the series gets both really gory fun and political. You see, not to go to deep into Japan’s political history, Japan had a similar recession in the late 80’s as what happened in the US in the last 5 years or so. (eerily similar really) And this series is a revenge fantasy about taking the Politian’s who embezzled money, stalled important changes, or were just A-holes to the country to task. How? By literally having them pay with their lives. It’s a really fun read and is a great introduction to Japanese politics. (Although its facts should be taken with a grain of salt) I should also mention that basic knowledge of economics is helpful when starting this series.
3. ES Eternal Sabbath
---- This one’s friendlier to young audiences than the last two! This one is straight up cloning and genetic manipulation! A laboratory created a young boy to test whether they could isolate the gene that prevents aging. They succeeded, however there was an unintentional side effect of also giving the child psychic powers. The story follows the boy, now a man, who can control people’s memories and brain with his power, he has no feelings of malice however and simply wants to live out his days roaming around. This changes when the clone that the scientists made of him starts causing the deaths that could expose him. This manga is super cool and the representation of how thoughts are shown is really amazing and fun to look at. Also don’t be fooled by that synopsis this series is very much a romance!
2. Yahsa
---- Yasha is an action shoujo manga that is similar to ES in that it is about a child created in a lab, however unlike ES our main character has gained traits more along the lines of physical enhancements and these enhancements are pretty subtle. He is a genius that has been raised by the company that made him and is starting to have rebellious dreams of freedom. So far so good! The manga hasn’t been completely translated to my knowledge but I am enjoying it a lot and I recommend this to shoujo scifi fans!
1. Zetman
---- I love you Zetman I really really do! And what do you know? This series is the poster child for artificial humans! The series’s basic premise is that the Amano Company has been tinkering with science to create people completely from scratch by mixing various genetics together from both animals and humans. However these being rebelled after being severally mistreated. Now needing to clean up their own mess, ZET is created to defeat the others like himself. This has been one of my favorite manga for years and I actually own it in Japanese to translate myself. Packed full of action and commentary this superhero manga (yeah I said superhero) is a must read for people who enjoy the genre! Also the artwork in this series is truly a sight to behold!

I’ll be back on Saturday with another post!
Do you know any amazing manga about clones or artificial humans?
Have you read one of these? Hated it? Loved it?
Please share in the comments!

~Tsu

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PS. Hey, do you have an awesome review world? Do you want me to give you a completely awesome plug here? Drop me a line and I’ll be happy to do just that! Lol

Zombies!

Rome Rome
Author: Hamaoka Kenji
It’s rare I find manga that still surprises me… That being said I owe people wallpapers for not getting the anime review done on time… Sorry!!! Next week for sure!

So yeah its basically October right? So I can start doing Halloween things right? Right?
I think so…

So here’s Rome Rome!
Rome Rome is a horror comedy about surviving the zombie plague. Nothing quite like it… All the characters are so calm about the fact they’re literally surrounded and yet they go about every day life the same way.
The kids play soccer outside, the grandma plants in the garden, but you know grandma also chops of zombie heads with her hoe.
It’s a great one shot with a good moral for the kiddies too! Lol This manga is totally worth reading for that punch line at the end of the manga. Twilight Zone ref/ mild spoiler -> (It reminds me of the Twilight Zone episode that ended with a “so don’t drink and drive or you may get abducted by aliens and kept as a pet” moral! XD)

Sorry this is pathetically short… This week I’ve gone from having nothing to do to having lots and lots to do. I need to find my balance again! XO
I’m almost there tho so, fear not! I’ll probably do a special on Weds too to make up for the short post…

~Tsu

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Shinigami Romance

Sarashi Asobi
Author: Tobina Touya
Sometimes called Exposing Game (get yer head out of the gutter!)

So I’ve actually reviewed a series by the author before! (Here) So that makes this the first repeat author on this world! Woot!

Ok so to boil the plot down, it’s about a misunderstood girl, a bored shinigami and a little game.
To go into more detail, this shoujo manga starts with Ren Ohba, a girl with a tough stern exterior who just wants to help people but due to the way she acts she is constantly misunderstood. A shinigami is watching her and knowing she doesn’t have long to live, decides to play a game by making it so she shares her inner voice with the world. In other words all the things she thinks, she says aloud. (Trust me when I say this is adorable and hilarious) Anyhoo, wonderful hijinks ensue but it’s not all fun and games… A suffering shinigami, a girl trying to extend her life, and love triangles are also abundant.

I really enjoyed this short series. (I’ve reread it several times… and I’ve made 2 wallapapers for it…) It hits the right balance of adorable fun and heart felt drama. It’s also truly refreshing how the author spins the shinigami and misunderstood girl cliques into a new exciting piece. The characters are well developed and the chapter addressing the love triangle (I call it the creaking chapter) is one of the best portrayals, I’ve seen, of handling rejection and change in shoujo manga.

Anyhow Who’d like this?
Fans of shinigami manga (yes it could be it’s own genre) or fans of shoujo manga. I think even if shoujo isn’t your thing there’s a lot to enjoy here, but if you aren’t in the mood for some romance you might want to skip this one for now.

~Tsu
Ps. No seriously though... there's soooo many shinigami manga...
Maybe I should do a best and worst list of them...

(Also Sarashi Asobi is my favorite by this author)

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Mr. Fredward's Duck

Mr. Fredward’s Duck
Author: Ushijima Keiko

So this manga… It possibly has the silliest name of any manga I’ve read… (except maybe Banana Bread Pudding…) And it has, if possible, almost as strange a premise.
Ok now bear with me here cause the plot is gonna lose you for a second but this is definitely a series worth a gander. (or two)
So ok this is how it starts, a man named Mr. Fredward (who despite this old man name is a total Bishounen hottie) puts out an ad looking for a housekeeper, and who answers this ad? A talking duck named Rosemary. (Don’t leave me yet!) So long story short, he hires the duck and the story begins. Now instead of being what many of you are probably imaging, this series is not a comedy romp through the happy land of a man and his duck. This is a very intense and surprisingly heart felt manga from the early 90s.
This manga really caught my attention shortly before the main plot started with a well balance plot about animal cruelty from the point of view of Rosemary. It also contains some exciting stories with interesting supernatural twists!
From there the main story arch begins! (Fairly late in the story but its all good! Lol) What is that? Well Fredward ran away from home as a child and lived on the streets in a kind of gang. He visits an old friend from that time and discovers the older boy who protected him, and who he respected, has died from a drug overdose. He also discovers that this friend had a child. Feeling indebted to his friend he begins a quest to search for the boy to make sure that he is ok being taken care of and happy.
Trust me! This is a very bittersweet story that will warm and break your heart! It takes on some extremely difficult topics of the 90s and beyond… SPOILERS (Aids, being homeless, suicide, family etc.) On top of that the 90s shoujo art style is very pretty and nothing makes me smile like Rosemary’s enduring personality!

You would like this if you are a shoujo, josei, or drama fan.
If you’re looking for a man and duck comedy I’m afraid you’ll have to search a little longer. Give it a try its quite a pleasant surprise!

~Tsu

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Evil Looking Angel

Angel Densetsu
Author: Yagi Norihiro

I love this manga so much! It is hilarious!
A school place martial arts comedy, the story follows a high schooler named Kitano Seiichirou who has the heart of an angel…. But has a super scary face! The manga says it something like “Piercing small eyes, naturally frightening mouth and pale skin like that of a heroin addict.”
Anyways this up and up A student is constantly misunderstood with uproariously funny results! I just love it… its great…. He beats people up without touching them cause he’s so scary, and ends up the leader of the school hoodlums but he’s so innocent that he doesn’t know what’s going on!
“Ohhh poor baby!” But man if I don’t laugh my butt off every time I read this series!

This story is at it’s core about not judging by looks and letting the heart shine through, but its done in a not too heavy handed and very humorous way!

The fight scenes are great and fun to read, and I always love a good fighting manga! ^-^

This comedy is perfect for fans of school comedies or somebody looking for interesting take on the school gang fight genre.

~Tsu

Sorry this review is so short!!! I manage the editing for a horror movie review channel on youtube and we were having our annual horror movie party and top 10.

Next up to review is one of my ten anime! (that or I’m gonna be making wallies for all the commenters on Bebop…)

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