Manga of The Month - April

Okay, so i've not been the most attentive blogger the world has seen, but I do have a pretty good Manga to reccomend. It's name is '20th century Boys' drawn and written by Japan's jewel; Naoki Urasawa, who also authored 'Monster' I think i might've mentioned this, if not then that will be next month's manga of the month.

The story synposis will look lame any way I put it, I just can't reflect how good this manga is. Well, to start off, a bunch of boys made their own hideout in the summer of 1969 where they wopuld play and read manga. It was here that they created a story about the destruction of the world, and how the world was consequently saved, a simple imaginative tale made by little boys, Kenji Endo being at the centre of it (he being the main character). About 30 years later in 1997, Kenji's older sister suddenly makes an appearance asking him and their mother to look after her baby girl. She then disappears, now Kenji has to not only mind his late father's store but look after a baby. Soon afterwards, one of kenji's old friends who used to play in their hideout... dies, supposedly a suicide, but kenji knows better and finds out he's been murdered. By anger and emotion he discovers the murderer was part of cult organisation named 'the friends' the main 'friend' is an annonymous person, whose plan is the destruction of the world. And so the little boy's tale turns into reality and each country of the world slowly undergoes changes at the hands of 'the friends' It is now Kenji's Duty to reverse what he feels he has done.

There's actually a lot more to the story than what i make out. 20th century Boys is a very horrific but poignant story, about childhood, poverty, poltical corruption, family life, failed dreams, failed fathers, governmental power and hope in the face of extreme adversity. I've only read 6 volumes out of the total 22 available, I am very impressed by the portrayal of old, new and future times, in addition to the follow through of characters within the ages. For instance, in the first volume a detective who never spent time with his family is killed, his grandson makes an appearnece 5 volumes later trying to succed his hero of a grandfather.

20th century Boys is a remarkable piece of art, creativity, imagination, science-fiction, and non-fictional topics. It is definitly plausable and I give it a well earned 9/10 Dessa rating.

All of it is free to read on the onemanga.com website.