Usenet Manga Titles List v2.0
Iain Sinclair
Here it is at last. Note that there have been radical presentation changes
(which aren't permanent -- let me know if you prefer the old version).
Also, most of the new titles (in Afternoon, SS, YM, YJ, etc.) have been
added. As usual, corrections and additions are gratefully received
and incorporated.
If you're wondering where the nice long summaries are, they're still there,
but in a different list. That list is the recommendations list; if
you want to recommend a title, edit this list and send it to me. (Best
to recommend stuff you have compilations of, or want to get).
Then your initial will appear beside a long summary in the recommendations
list. (If there are too many initials, the number of people who
recommended it will appear instead.) If a summary doesn't exist,
feel free to write one (but wait until I post the first version).
You can recommend titles that don't appear on this list, of course (since
this is only for current titles, at the moment anyway).
If this sounds too complicated, let me know about that, too.
Hopefully I can stick some JIS into the next version, but I have to
pass some subjects in the meantime. :-)
V1.2 Chih-Ping Kuo (10 Mar 92)
V2.0 Iain Sinclair (9 Apr 92)
Contributors: Patrick Yip, Hiroshi Haga, Hitoshi Doi, David Mou,
Tonghyun Kim
-----------------------+-----------------------+----------------------------
Title (English title) Artist & writer(#vols) Description
-------|---------------+|---------------|------+|---------------------------
| | | | |____ very short summary;
| | | | in quotes if one appears
| | | | with the manga.
| | | |
| | | |____ number of compilations to date
| | |
| | |____ as given (family name first), unless it appears
| | in romaji (or author is well known)
| |
| |____ Translation of the Japanese title
|
|____ Japanese title. Transliterations (from katakana) appear in all caps.
Meanings of kanji with unknown readings appear in [] braces.
Only current titles are listed
=============================================================================
AFTERNOON/MANGA FRONTIER (380 Y, monthly) Kodansha
------------------------
Aa! Megami-sama! Fujiwara Kensuke (5) goddesses/eng. students/comedy
Boku wa MUKO Youshi Yumeno Kazuko soapie
(I'm an adopted son)
Chi Deki Boxer Taguchi Masayuki cretin becomes smart in fights
(The Intellectual Boxer)
CHINESE ANGEL COMPANY ?? espionage?
Compiler Asamiya Kia cyber invaders/weirdoes comedy
Discommunication Riichi Ueshiba average girl, supernatural guy
Fukai Utsukushiiki ASIA Chen Wen psychics' ideological battles
GLORIA ?? wench in wild west/violence
Gun Smith Cats Kenichi Sonoda girls/guns/action/comedy
Heaven Gonta primitive sex maniac advisor
HELL MADONNA ?? "beauty & horror"
"diabolic hunter"
Kiseizyuu Iwaaki Hitoshi horror/aliens/violence/gore
(Parasite Beasts)
Mamijirotyo Shinao Shiina small feet/incest (weird!)
Nani wa?? ?? domestic comedy
No Burukun tachi Mikio Igarashi old men with genius child
Paradise Lady Kazumi Kakizaki women's wrestling
Single Action Army Moriichi Hiromoto? gunfights
Suzuki ? ?ichi gag (unusual)
Ware ga Uchi no sasae Makoto Tanaka odd gag-like style
WOHHAMAN Asari Yoshitoh superhero/comedy
Yoshie-san ?? gag-like (manga artists?)
BIG COMICS/COMICS FOR MEN (220 Y, monthly) Shogakukan
-------------------------
Includes short stories and gag strips (focusing on politics and
human interaction).
General Admin Dept ?? life in a large company
Rukupantai Yamaguchi
GOLGO 13 Takawo Saitoo (100+) assassination/current affairs
Hotel Chohtarou Ishinomori life of hotel staff
Kawauta ?? country teacher/environmental
(Stream Song)
Kikaku Ari Yasuyuki Kunitomo business (advertising)
(the Plan)
Makkoo no Mokushiroku Leiji Matsumoto eerie SF/adventure
9999 (Bright Red Book of Revelation)
Medusa Kawaji Chikaii intrigue/current affairs
Notari Matsutaroo Tetsuya Chiba sumo
Roommates Youko ?toh family drama
BIG COMIC ORIGINAL (220 Y, monthly) Shogakukan
------------------
Kaze no Daichi ?? golf
(The earth of wind)
Last News ?? (artist of Ningen Kossaten)
relationships
Ron (Dragon) ?? kendo
Yuum ?? (artist of Doraemon) life in downtown Japan
(Sentimental Dream)
BIG COMIC SPIRITS (220 Y, weekly) Shogakukan
-----------------
Ai ga Isogashi ?? playboy after dad's lover
F Noboru Rokuda car racing/romance/comedy
Living Game ?? (cf. Mangajin) overcrowding/sitcom
Oishinbo ?? the way to cook for Yamaoka
Watanabe ?? alien sees family hardships
Yawara! Naoki Urasawa judo/romance/comedy
BUSINESS JUMP (220 Y, weekly)
-------------
Amai Shohoh Hikaru Koutsuki tampon/panty product designer?
(Sweet Life)
Boku wa Mini ni koi Miyasu Nonki salaryman Takakuwa chases Mini
Gunnm (Gun's Dream) Yukito ? (1) cyberpunk/action/girls
Natsuki Crisis ?? girls
COMIC GENKI (?? Y, bimonthly) Kadokawa Shoten
-----------
Channel B Takeda Yayoi cyberpunk
Elementaler Okazaki Takeshi Bastard!!-type fantasy
Giant Robo Mizuda Mari revival of old live action show
HAKKENDEN Aomata Pink Japanese Fantasy
Iczer Densetsu Toshihro Hirano must for Iczer fans
(The legend of Iczers)
Kakuen Tokkei Deukarion CLAMP crazy parody/highschool
(Campus Police Deukarion)
Kurara Shake Katoh ? crazy parody/campus
Moon Princess Kakinouchi Narumi shojo (fantasy/romance)
Ocean Child Angela Hashimoto Masae fantasy/adventure
Romantic Collection Mikimoto Haruhiko romantic fantasy
Series
Sabre Cats Yamamoto Atsuji cyberpunk & martial arts
Trouble Namu-chan Konishi Shinobu comedy
COMIC MORNING (?? Y, monthly) Kodansha
-------------
AA Harimanada ?? sumo
Aishiteru ??
Bright Horizon ?? environment/urban (in color)
Chimoku no Kencho Kaiji Kawaguchi naval warfare/politics/thriller
Cooking Papa ?? father who is a great chef
Don Giovanni ?? supernatural romance/adventure?
Gamble Racer ?? ??
Hana Mura Kin Gin ?? ??
Tetsu Dou
Ito ?? no onna no ?? shojo (researcher/feminist)
????nikki
Katcho Sima Kohsaku Hirokane Kensi contemporary Japanese managers
Naniwa KinYuuDou ??
Obake ??
OL [evolution theory] ?? gag (office ladies)
Reggie ?? baseball (western style)
Shukufukuoh Takamoti Gen modern, neo-religious/gospel?
(Blessing King)
COMP (?? Y, monthly)
----
Angel Paradigm Kinutani Yu beautiful fantasy/action
(girl hunted for her power)
BROTHERS Shou Tajima Madara + Touch + Miyuki + To-y
Galaxy Warring State Johji Manabe action/adventure (alternate
Chronicle Rai Japan, ~Warring State Era)
Ichigekihitsatsu Yoshiemon Otaki gag (terrible puns)
Gyokusai Club
Lone Knight Yoshitomi Akihito fantasy (knight paying debt)
Mariko EXPRESS ??
Marouou Fuunden Sawada Shou fantasy/occult/action
Mono no Kai ranchisa Nem Mukdori spiritual trouble consultant
Senshi
Sabotin Road Natsumi Mukai fantasy/romance (RPG)
Silent Mobius Asamiya Kia future police/SF/occult
Sword Master (YS) Hagoromo Shou from the PC-engine game
Tadaima Kiseichu Yoshitoo Asari intestinal parasites make
average girl a super hero.
Uchuu Eiyu Monogatari Ito Takehiko very funny SF/fantasy
(The Future Retro Hero Story)
YANKEE Yoshifumi Yamamoto highschools/bikes/parodies
HANA TO YUME (260 Y, monthly) Hakusensha [white spring]
------------
A shojo manga magazine, with lots of big titles.
I'M ALIVE Hoshino Naka gunfights & blood depicted
Boku no Chikyuu o Kiwatori Saki (13) previous lives/psychics
mamotte (Please save my Earth)
Chikyuu no Ousama Kuta Naoe fantasy/highschools
(The King of Earth)
Doubutsu no ishasan Sasaki Noriko (12+) vet intern (realistic)
(The Animals' Doctor)
Garasu no Kamen Miuchi Suzue a girl's acting career
(Glass Mask)
Kaitoo Amaririsu Wada Shinji thief
(Strange Thief)
Karin Kawasoo Masumi fantasy (after 'I'M ALIVE')
(Fire Wheel)
Nante suteki ni Yamauchi Naomi & light Heinan era court romance
Japanesuku Mimura Saeko
Rock On Hujita Takami rock bands (sketchy style)
Say say say Yamashita Tomomi
LA LA (370 Y, monthly) Hakusensha
-----
A shojo manga magazine.
Alexandrite Narida Minako college students/stylised NYC
Hana sakeru Senshuunen Itsuki Natsumi "eccentric story"
(Blossoming Young Generation)
Hitomi no naka no Okano Humika romance/aquaria (big eyes)
Oukoku (The kingdom within the pupil)
Kanata kara Hikawa Kyouko romance/fantasy adventure
(From That Side)
Osoroshikute ienai Kuwata Noriko highschool kid's ghost?
(So afraid to speak)
Pao yume no tamatakako Abiko Miwa fantasy/adventure
Tonari no Daboru Nakaji Yuki different twins (nice art)
(The Double Next Door)
Tsuki no ko Shimizu Reiko alien mermaids/current affairs
(Moon Child)
NEWTYPE (500 Y, monthly) Kadokawa Shoten
-------
An animation magazine with three popular manga, and an occasional
accompanying anthology of short stories, "Genki Special".
NEWTYPE:
Five Star Stories Nagano Mamoru interstellar empires saga/mecha
Marionette Generation Mikimoto Hiruhiko living dolls/artists/girls
Seijyuu Densho Dark Asamiya Kia fantasy/fights/some comedy
Angel
GENKI SPECIAL:
B-Type Union Kouga Yun & ?? & Katoh ?ki
Dr. Re-gain Matsuda Kannai bio-research, scalpel shurikens
Great Tokyo Kikuchi Michitaka author's travels in Japan
Exploration Team
Fuijikaru Karen-chan Murazaki Bushi emotional girl (art like To-y)
Kanbare [tsuofu Miyazaki ? girl and her monster friends
douji]-kun
??? chan no Ooen uta ?? author appears in mickey cap!
??? High School Year 3 Ayanokou Jahayato gag (highschool students)
Class 6
POYONET hoshi kara no ?? kid-creatures with a girl
morimono (Present from star)
20 Menshou Onegai CLAMP (there're 6!)
SHONEN JUMP (200 Y, weekly)
-----------
Biggest-selling manga magazine in Japan, circulation ~6 million (?);
also has Dragonball Z, the most popular manga.
Dragon Ball Akira Toriyama alternate world/fun/combat
Dragon Quest Riku Sanjo kids/RPG
Hana no ??? - ?? (artist of Hokuto no Ken)
kumo nokanata ni -
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure adventurers in weird labyrinth
??
Kochira ??ku ??koen ?? atypical policeman/comedy
mae (Police Post)
Magical Taruruto-kun Tatsuya Egawa artifacts/superpower kids/fun
Roku de nashi BLUES ?? highschool/bullies
Slam Dunk ?? basketball/comedy
Video Girl Ai Masakazu Katsura SF/fantasy/romance
Yuyu hakusho ?? exorcist boys vs. monsters
SEASON SPECIAL (quarterly):
Bastard!! ?? fantasy/sorcery/girls
SHONEN MAGAZINE (?? Y, weekly)
---------------
Chameleon ?? defunct?
Shogun ?? "
Warashi ?? "
SHONEN SUNDAY (200 Y, weekly) Shogakukan
-------------
Underwent slight changes in April, 1992.
Baron Rokuda Noboru (5) psychics, UFOs
BATTLE GIRL Hayashizaki Fumihiro women's wrestling
Fentayarimasu ??
Ghost Sweeper Mikami Shiina Tagashi (1) exorcist comedy
Honoo no NINJAMAN Shimamoto Kazuhiko ninjas/highschool
Kenta Yarimasu Mitsuda Takuya volleyball
Koutei Senshi ikaru ga Saitou Ayumi fantasy
Kyou kara Ore wa Nishimori Hiroyuki highschool/bullies
Kyouryu Carnival Ueda Etsu gag (dinosaurs)
Maoh Sasuke Ogishima & motorbikes/delinquents
Etsuya Amazishi
Mobile Police Patlabor Yuuki Masami (10) SF mecha comedy/action soap
Nijiiro Tohgarashi Adachi Mitsuru (9) alternative ~19th cent. Japan
Obi o Gyutto ne Kawai Katsutoshi "new wave Judo story"
Ojisan BOY!! Watabe Seiji old guy in highschool
Ore tachi no Fight Muraeda Kenichi soccer
Ouritsuin Kumomaru no Shougai 30s conspiracy/action/fantasy
Ryoichi Ikegami & ?? (2)
Ranma Nibunnoichi Rumiko Takahashi (19) martial arts/comedy/romance
(Ranma 1/2)
Sauros Knight Katsu Aki fantasy
Sengoku Koushien Kiriyama Kouhi (3) outrageous baseball saga
(Warring State koushien)
TWINKLE TWINKLE IDOL STAR
Tohyama Hikaru (5) idols
Ushio to Tora Fujita Kazuhiro (9) epic occult/demon-hunt
Yaiba Aoyama Goushou wandering kids
Yuke!! Nankoku Ice Hockey-bu
Kumeta Kouji sports-related (raunchy+)
YOUNG MAGAZINE (220 Y, weekly) Kodansha
--------------
3x3 Eyes Yuzo Takada (11) immortality/magic/girls
Be-Bop Highschool Kyuchi Kazuhiro highschool (comedy?)
COLORED BLUE ?? highschool (??)
ERIC ni aisatsu Momiji ? (weird+)
God Save The ?ro Noriko girl's dreams/domestic life?
Sugekoma-kun!
GORILLAMAN HAROLD ? (11) weirdo at highschool
Hageshii na! Sakurai-kun highschool kid's romance
Taka? Atsuko
Hotel Califorinia Sugimura Shinichi drugs/sex/Japanese in CA
Ikenai! Invitation Koshiba Tetsuya (6) hentai (comedy/girls' school)
[industry lament] ?? near-hentai (comedy)
PLAYBOYS
Koukou no hitotachi ?? ??
(Highschool People)
?? ?? & post-apocalypse adventure
(Legend of Mother Sarah) Katsuhiro Ohtomo
LOVELYN MONROE JOHJI ? (8) 'alternate' WWII with animals?
Manabisha
?? MIDNIGHT ? Michiharu cars/romance
Rina koto Oni-chan ? Jinko some little girl
Sanobabicchi Mitani Hitsuji gag (hentai)
SHOTOKAN Bugi ??
Tako-chan ??
Tonnel nuketara ??
Sky Blue
Yoshiie [tale] ?da ?? (5) ?? (interesting :-)
Zou san [family] ??
YOUNG JUMP (weekly, 220Y)
-----------
Aoki Honoo ?? Saburou artists in early 20th cent.(?)
B.B. FISH Shou Kitagawa (4) "super swimming comic"
Highschool Jinki Mizuho Shuushi (8) Yakuza forced to be a teacher
(Highschool chivalry)
Kintoto House ?? gag
KujakuOh Taimaseiden Ogino Makoto (3) occult/legends (gory+)
(Kujaku-Oh Demon Hunt)
MAZIN SAGA Gou Nagai (1) sequel to Mazinger Z (violent+)
Nozomi Takkyubin Toshi Nobe (17) boxing, romance, comedy
Osu!! Karate-bu ?? (24) outrageous martial arts
Renkan Nihon-shoki ?? no central character/situation
(Chronicle of Japan)
Shonen Ashibe ?? (5) gag (families & pet seal)
Tengoku de Pon ?? (2) gag
Tsure-chan no Yuutsu ?? (6) a kid & his mum & his dog
Ume Momo Sakura Suzuki Yumiko (3) shojo (three fiancees)
--
Iain Sinclair axo...@socs.uts.edu.au ne cede.
TANAKA Jiro
axo...@socs.uts.edu.au (Iain Sinclair) writes:
:HANA TO YUME (260 Y, monthly) Hakusensha [white spring]
It's not monthly, 2 volumes at month. 250Yen each.
:I'M ALIVE Hoshino Naka gunfights & blood depicted
HOSHINO KANA
:Boku no Chikyuu o Kiwatori Saki (13) previous lives/psychics
: mamotte (Please save my Earth)
HIWATARI SAKI
:Chikyuu no Ousama Kuta Naoe fantasy/highschools
: (The King of Earth)
KITA NAOE
:Doubutsu no ishasan Sasaki Noriko (12+) vet intern (realistic)
: (The Animals' Doctor)
DOUBUTSU NO OISHASAN
:Karin Kawasoo Masumi fantasy (after 'I'M ALIVE')
: (Fire Wheel)
(WHY YOU SAY, after 'I'M ALIVE'?)
:Nante suteki ni Yamauchi Naomi & light Heinan era court romance
: Japanesuku Mimura Saeko
HIMURO SAEKO
:LA LA (370 Y, monthly) Hakusensha
:Alexandrite Narida Minako college students/stylised NYC
NARITA MINAKO
:Pao yume no tamatakako Abiko Miwa fantasy/adventure
PAO,YUME NO TAMATEBAKO
:Tonari no Daboru Nakaji Yuki different twins (nice art)
: (The Double Next Door)
TONARI NO DABURU
BTW, does anyone needs HANA-TO-YUME COMICS LIST written in JIS-code?
TANAKA Jiro (TANAKA is my family name)
Hitoshi Doi
#
# BIG COMIC SPIRITS (220 Y, weekly) Shogakukan
# -----------------
#
# Living Game ?? (cf. Mangajin) overcrowding/sitcom
Hoshisato Mochiru (4)
# Yawara! Naoki Urasawa judo/romance/comedy
(21)
# SHONEN JUMP (200 Y, weekly)
# -----------
# Biggest-selling manga magazine in Japan, circulation ~6 million (?);
# also has Dragonball Z, the most popular manga.
There is no Dragonball Z manga. Dragonball Z is just the anime,
but it is based on Dragonball.
--
Hitoshi Doi, International Open Systems Engineering d...@jrd.dec.com
Japan Research and Development Center decwrl!jrd.dec.com!doi
Digital Equipment Corporation Japan [from Japan: d...@dec-j.co.jp]
acu...@wharton.upenn.edu
first followed by the last name: Ouji Hiroi) and Ikegami Ryoichi (Ryoichi
Ikegami). I should know I have vol. 1 right here in front of me right now.
All of you Ikegami fans out there give a holler so that I know I'm not the
only one fascinated by his & his studio's (does he even have one?) attention
for detail, both for characters and background.
A manga convert,
Day
"Day time is night time."---Me
david mou
>Ouritsuin Kumomaru no Shougai is by Hiroi Ouji (or if you prefer first name
>first followed by the last name: Ouji Hiroi) and Ikegami Ryoichi (Ryoichi
>Ikegami). I should know I have vol. 1 right here in front of me right now.
>
Finally, a manga message.
I'm a fan for Ryoichi Ikegami's art, but not his general choice of authors.
OKnS is almost like a Smiling Freeman type story, which I don't like all that
much. If that's the general feeling, then that might be the reason why it
ended so abruptly (Dave: Wha!? Is that all!?).
On the other hand, Sanctuary has a interesting story (as well as suspense,
if nothing ever happens to that lieutenant chief of police). A pleasant
anomaly.
--
o
dav...@ocf.berkeley.edu ph11...@violet.berkeley.edu studio 3x3 ^ ^
Iain Sinclair
>I'm a fan for Ryoichi Ikegami's art, but not his general choice of authors.
>OKnS is almost like a Smiling Freeman type story, which I don't like all that
>much. If that's the general feeling, then that might be the reason why it
>ended so abruptly (Dave: Wha!? Is that all!?).
It ENDED? Geez! I wondered why it hadn't been in SS for a while. :-)
I didn't like Freeman much, but I loved OKnS, or at least what
I saw of it. If it's over, that's real disappointing, especially
considering the terrible quality of its replacement(?) (like Koutei Senshi,
probably the most appallingly drawn manga I've ever seen.)
SS still has a few interesting titles, like Yuke!! Nankoku Ice Hockey-bu,
which is turning out to be amazingly hentai (I didn't think they allowed
that stuff in shonen manga, but I obviously haven't read enough :-)
Also, has anyone seen God Save The Sugekoma-kun! in Young Magazine?
I quite liked that.
New version of the list out shortly -- a few kind souls have done a lot
of fixing up. It looks like we should try to incorporate it with the list
posted in fj.rec.comics, too.
ch...@ucsee.berkeley.edu
>On the other hand, Sanctuary has a interesting story (as well as suspense,
>if nothing ever happens to that lieutenant chief of police). A pleasant
>anomaly.
Gee Dave M., you really REALLY want to see her ''gets it'' don't you?
BTW, Viz's translation of Sanctuary is now available... (Saw issue 1 in
local Comic Relief... $5.00 an issue though) and gee, they DID NOT color it!
(What a relief!)
>--
> o
> dav...@ocf.berkeley.edu ph11...@violet.berkeley.edu studio 3x3 ^ ^
Dave C.
Patrick C Yip
>ph11...@violet.berkeley.edu (david mou) writes:
> >I'm a fan for Ryoichi Ikegami's art, but not his general choice of authors.
> >OKnS is almost like a Smiling Freeman type story, which I don't like all that
> >much. If that's the general feeling, then that might be the reason why it
> >ended so abruptly (Dave: Wha!? Is that all!?).
>
>It ENDED? Geez! I wondered why it hadn't been in SS for a while. :-)
Yes, it ended, with a strangely inconclusive ending. I think it must be
because of the SHONEN JUMP SYNDROME: Forced to end. The author might have
a grand plan of the life of Onritsuin Kumomaru. It would take the story
well into the war with China, Pacific War and so on. (The story happened
around 1930-1936 I think) But it's forced to end before that. After the
"final" struggle with Kamijima (sp?) and his "steel-teeth", the story
ends with Kumomaru entrust all the fortune of his clan to a Swiss Bank,
with the will of contributing the money for peace cause in case of his
death, and then Kumomaru and her French girlfriend travel around the world...
>I didn't like Freeman much, but I loved OKnS, or at least what
>I saw of it. If it's over, that's real disappointing, especially
>considering the terrible quality of its replacement(?) (like Koutei Senshi,
>probably the most appallingly drawn manga I've ever seen.)
Don't know about Koutei Senshi, but to be honest, I don't find myself
attracted to OKnS either. The story in OKnS is kinda dull, lacking in
tension. It looked promising at start, but the story went downward at
the end of the European tour. Adding oriental fairies and airship fleet
just adds to the bizzareness of the story.
I agree with Dave. I like Ryouichi Ikegami's art, but not his choice of
writers. He already doesn't have the talent of writing stories, but does
he have a problem in choosing good stories too?
>New version of the list out shortly -- a few kind souls have done a lot
>of fixing up. It looks like we should try to incorporate it with the list
>posted in fj.rec.comics, too.
BTW since the compilation of the Mangazine List, there are quite a few
changes to titles in those magazines. Maybe we need some amendment now.
>Iain Sinclair axo...@socs.uts.edu.au ne cede.
Iain, is the Ax.gif at ultima.socs.uts.edu.au your portrait?
I don't know whether the Q-taro like creature in eain.gif appears in any
manga. It's possible that it's one of the product's creation in its manga
style packaging. You see, manga isn't just storytelling, it's a kind of
popular art!
<<Self-appointed High Priest of the Cult of Urd, Belldandy and Skuld>> :-)
Patrick YIP (a.k.a. YO^SHIGO^) **the one who's more into MANGA than ANIME**
pc...@melange.lcs.mit.edu -<-r- - | | |
pck...@athena.mit.edu + + X /T. E+B X = I I
@ @ , / \ | | \ & * *
=====>> "AH, MY GODDESS!!" ======>> a a me gami sa ma
Iain Sinclair
>Yes, it ended, with a strangely inconclusive ending. I think it must be
>because of the SHONEN JUMP SYNDROME: Forced to end. The author might have
>a grand plan of the life of Onritsuin Kumomaru. It would take the story
>well into the war with China, Pacific War and so on. (The story happened
>around 1930-1936 I think)
Well, I'm really disappointed. Even if the story was a little chaotic,
the art is simply faultless, and the bizarre situations were a big part
of the appeal for me. I can't believe it would have been pulled so
early, unless Ikegami himself wasn't happy with how it was progressing.
By the time I started buying SS again, it was almost always appearing
right at the back.
I think artist/writer collaborations are always a bit insipid -- Legend
of Mother Sarah is a bit of a yawn, for example; but it isn't full
of action like OKnS is. But collaborations do give the artist a good
chance to show off and concentrate on his/her art and design skill.
That's another reason why I like manga -- many comics are collaborations,
whereas manga are usually the raw, undiluted vision of a single author
(the assistants don't have much input, of course :-)
Anyway, I think OKnS will remain a favourite of mine, if only because
it features the most kick-ass villain I've ever seen: Juuzou, the
militarists' ninja. He's miles ahead of even Tetsuo and Benares!
Still, if OKnS has been terminated prematurely, that means VIZ Comics
will be able to make a nice, complete "series" out of it. Colorised,
of course. $-) X-(
--