20th Century Boys
I read volumes 19-20 and part of 21 of 20th Century Boys this morning.
I am still stunned at how great a work this is and how strong my reaction to it is.
Even with the report of a lousy maybe ending(?), I am...speechless. (Please see above line as I think I want to repeat that thought.
If I were stuck on a deserted island and I could only take 20 (complete) series of books, this would definitely be 1st choice.
One Piece would be my Shounen Jump pick. I am still thinkin gof one shoujo series that has made such an impact on me.
I think that what draws me to 20th Century Boys (and One Piece) is the theme of friendship and (in 20th Century Boys's case) childhood. Children today don't play like this anymore. Well, they do still but not all of the time. From what I've observed from my nieces and nephews and the street children, they only play like this once in while, when there's a blackout and the TV is gone.
Now, Kenji and the others, they liked watching TV too. But the use of the TV was regulated (and so it was when Iwas young too). Most of their playing time was spent in the secret base, hide-and-seek, and other kiddie games that are slowly disappearing. Heck, I want children and I want them to play the games I played in my youth, you know, but I cannot remember them anymore.
That is what 20th Century Boys brings back to me, the memory of my childhood and the closeness I had with my cousins. We (I suppose I mean I) have grown so apart from them because we have grown-up and discovered the world outside. Kenji-tachi...they grew apart but came back together in pursuit of Friend and the ties of friendship between them only became stronger.
So, I care about the mysteries left hanging by the "ending" and will probably be pissed off with Urasawa-sensei if he does leave it like that. But at the same time, 20th Century Boys has always been about Kenji and Kanna and their friends, and the reunion is something that I have been waiting for for a long time now, so some part of me will be satisfied with just that.
God, I love 20th Century Boys!
I am still stunned at how great a work this is and how strong my reaction to it is.
Even with the report of a lousy maybe ending(?), I am...speechless. (Please see above line as I think I want to repeat that thought.
If I were stuck on a deserted island and I could only take 20 (complete) series of books, this would definitely be 1st choice.
One Piece would be my Shounen Jump pick. I am still thinkin gof one shoujo series that has made such an impact on me.
I think that what draws me to 20th Century Boys (and One Piece) is the theme of friendship and (in 20th Century Boys's case) childhood. Children today don't play like this anymore. Well, they do still but not all of the time. From what I've observed from my nieces and nephews and the street children, they only play like this once in while, when there's a blackout and the TV is gone.
Now, Kenji and the others, they liked watching TV too. But the use of the TV was regulated (and so it was when Iwas young too). Most of their playing time was spent in the secret base, hide-and-seek, and other kiddie games that are slowly disappearing. Heck, I want children and I want them to play the games I played in my youth, you know, but I cannot remember them anymore.
That is what 20th Century Boys brings back to me, the memory of my childhood and the closeness I had with my cousins. We (I suppose I mean I) have grown so apart from them because we have grown-up and discovered the world outside. Kenji-tachi...they grew apart but came back together in pursuit of Friend and the ties of friendship between them only became stronger.
So, I care about the mysteries left hanging by the "ending" and will probably be pissed off with Urasawa-sensei if he does leave it like that. But at the same time, 20th Century Boys has always been about Kenji and Kanna and their friends, and the reunion is something that I have been waiting for for a long time now, so some part of me will be satisfied with just that.
God, I love 20th Century Boys!