Oh Japan...the birthplace of manga... but then again, japan isn't the capital of all comics and graphic novels in the world, just it's own, manga. Here in America we have a manga explosion; One that has lasted for a while (since the 70's) and grew from an underground source into one of the most popular medias out there. I know 'cause I grew up on manga. There was something about it's style that just seemed more appealing then American comics. Don't get me wrong, America is home of the world's top comic industries MARVEL and DC, but I liked manga because it was different. The lines were simple but detailed. The chibi characters were cartoony but not "Hannah Barbera" cartoony. Manga often divulged into more mature themes and had a variety of genres, each with it's own style to attract different audiences. This is why manga's so popular, and why Japanese culture is so popular. Other American artist like myself saw this genre and said "I'd like to make something like this, but my way" and thus OEL (original english language) manga was created.
I consider myself an OEL manga artist not because of my nationality but because of my style and themes. When I draw manga I don't want it to be the mirror image of a typical Japanese manga. I want it to have pop culture references I'm familiar with. Like American pop culture. Manga and american comic books are very different because of their cultural references. In a comic book it's typical to see rituals like holloween and 4th of july. In manga it's typical to see rituals like Harumatsuri (spring festival) or Goldenweek (a week of japan's national holidays). We often see manga as a way to peek into another culture. This is why my eyes stopped dead at this manga...or should I say comic book?
MANGA REVIEW: Karakuri Douji ULTIMO
Original Concept: Stan Lee
Story & Art: Hiroyuki Takei
Inker: DAIGO
Painter: BOB
Thats right, you saw it. Original concept by STAN LEE! I've heard of Stan working on a manga with Hiroyuki Takei A.K.A. The creator of Shaman King. I was astounded by the idea. An American comic book writer and a Japanese manga-ka (artist) working together! I haven't seen it untill I saw and read Karakuri Douji ULTIMO. The story isn't bad. It's about a teen boy Yamato, who finds a Karakuri Douji (mechanical boy) of the name Ultimo in a shop. He then activates Ultimo and learns that in his past life he met and fought many battles with Ultimo, mainly against Ultimo's evil twin, Vice. Both Ultimo and Vice were created by the mad scientist Dunstan (he looks familiar doesn't he?) in an effort to find out what would win in the world. Ultimate good or Ultimate evil?
While Yamato learns of his past he also runs into Vice in the present along with other new villains, all while trying to maintain his high school life and his companion ULTIMO. The main idea of the story is a tale of Good v.s. Evil that spans through time. So the idea sounds a little cheesy...and for the artwork you definitely see some shaman king influence. Plus, Ultimo's supposed to be beautiful, like the heart of goodness. But here he is very androgynous. Especially when he's teary eyed. Aside from that, reading the manga, it's an interesting story. I find it to have some American influence in the storytelling via Stan Lee. The dialogue can be heroic and reminiscent of superhero comics and the action and expressions are reminiscent of action manga. Personally I like it for the whole concept of it. Two major comic book creators from two different nationalities and cultures band together to make one solid "manga/comic book" lovechild. I even hear that Stan wants ULTIMO to be made into an anime, He's really Gung Ho for the series and very determined. I say go for it. I want to see what the future holds for ULTIMO.
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