everybody says it's just like rock n' roll
And now, another installment of "things Orly should have posted about months ago."
Today's episode- 20th Century Boys and 21st Century Boys (the latter is really just the last two volumes of the former) by Urasawa Naoki!
...Have I mentioned I love Urasawa? I love Urasawa.
The setup of 20th Century Boys is that, when they were kids, a group of ( Read more... )
Today's episode- 20th Century Boys and 21st Century Boys (the latter is really just the last two volumes of the former) by Urasawa Naoki!
...Have I mentioned I love Urasawa? I love Urasawa.
The setup of 20th Century Boys is that, when they were kids, a group of ( Read more... )
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Not . . . that I'm not fangirling now . . . um.
Also, I think I agree with your point about the plot - I can tell it's going to be a bit more sprawly and not as tight as Monster's, even from the point I'm at in the story. Though while I love the Monster characters too, the characters in 20th Century Boys have SUCH A HOLD on my heart that I don't even care, it shoots way up to 'favorite' status. Kenjiiiiiii!
Also also, I continue to be amazed at how Urasawa can depict character continuity from childhood to old age just by keeping the same eyebrows.
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The characters are the real reason that I understand why many people like 20th Century Boys the most. They're such beautifully realized individuals, and so many of them work incredibly as an ensemble (which is something that 20th Century Boys has over Monster). It's kind of interesting to me that I prefer Monster, since I've always sort of considered myself more character than plot oriented. I guess it's that I love the characters in Monster enough that loving its plot more manages to put it above 20th Century Boys. (I also seem to be becoming a bit of a sucker for thematic cohesion, and Monster is somewhat stronger in that department as well. Though Pluto is probably even better than Monster in that department.)
EYEBROWS ARE DEEPLY IMPORTANT.
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They really are - and I am a total sucker for ensembleness, and for ordinary people who are shoved into the middle of an epic story and still manage to be completely ordinary and real, and 20th Century Boys hits those buttons hard for me. And I also love the genre-play, and how it's commenting (and poking fun at) how things work in sff stories at the same time as it's totally using those same tropes. Monster also takes itself a bit more seriously, I think - which it should, because it's an amazing story and the themes deserve that kind of attention. (That is because thematic cohesion is awesome!)
TEN OUT OF TEN URASAWA CHARACTERS AGREE.
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I love the ensemble in this series so much. And I adore how Urasawa can make me cheer for the Standard Action Trope I totally saw coming, and then promptly follow it with one of his "haha, you actually thought you had the plot figured out? Of course you don't!" moments. And yeah, while completely justified in it, Monster definitely takes itself more seriously. 20th Century Boys knows it's goofy in many ways, but is going to be epic anyway!
...I lol'd. XD
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(And don't forget Pluto!)
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