"Even if the world ends, I will never let you go."
So it occurs to me that I still haven't made posts on quite a few things. For example, a number of Urasawa-related things. I should fix that. Especially since I have...6 Urasawa-related entries I want to write. ...Yeah, I'm obsessed.
First up? Pluto. Pluto in general (I also have thoughts regarding certain specifics, which will go elsewhere).
For those of you who have escaped some of my ramblings in recent months don't know, Pluto is Urasawa Naoki's (and Nagasaki Takashi's) re-envisioning of "The Greatest Robot on Earth" arc of Tezuka's Astro Boy. Knowledge of Astro Boy is, however, not required. I, for one, deliberately kept myself from reading the original arc until after I'd read all of Pluto, just so I would be able to enjoy the suspense more. Because this is Astro Boy by way of Blade Runner directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It's a murder mystery which comes to encompass very large issues and provide wonderful character exploration. It's also one of the most heartbreaking things you will ever read. I mean that in the best possible way.
The story follows Gesicht, a detective with Europol who is assigned to a few baffling murders. He also happens to be one of the seven most advanced robots in the world. Which makes him one of the murderer's targets. There's a strong supporting cast, comprised both of Urasawa's versions of the original Tezuka characters (most notably the other greatest robots, some of the scientists as well) and people who are Urasawa's creations entirely (let's have a shout-out for Helena, Professor Hoffman, and Brau 1589). The art is gorgeous, as you would expect, and the series is full of incredibly arresting images. Urasawa has a lot of fun detailing the streamlined futuristic world, from the cities to musical instruments. (Let's also actually give Viz credit here, the domestic release has color pages in each volume!) And the plot, of course, is excellent. Discovering all of its layers is a delight, and it has some incredible moments where your jaw just drops and you sit there in awe. There's a balance in it, between the epic overarching plot and incredibly personal stories about the characters. When these stories intersect, they enhance each other wonderfully. While the main plot is good, what makes it great is when it causes these moments of almost painful insight into the characters.
It has its weaknesses. There are quite a few elements which are on the anvilicious side. The 39th Central Asian Conflict, for example, is very obviously the Iraq War, and Urasawa very obviously did not approve. Certain parts can strain credibility, mostly because there are a few things which just don't get a full explanation, and parts of the ending feel a bit rushed.
But it also has beautiful, subtle layers. Which, for me, are what really make the series. If you look for it, you'll notice things like how Gesicht almost always keeps his arms resting at his sides, how he tends to act more robotic around humans because that's what they expect of him. And the anvilicious side can be mixed with Urasawa's love for observation and understanding. There's a group that is quite clearly the anti-robot equivalent of the KKK. This is evil, no question. We learn a lot about one particular member, though, including the experiences which drove him to become a member of such a group. Is he sympathetic? No. Is he human and understandable? Yes.
It also has some incredible death scenes. Including one of the best I've ever read.
I...cannot recommend this series enough. It is not, in my opinion, Urasawa's best. But huge parts of it are Urasawa at his best. It's out to get you completely absorbed, and it will. It's out to break your heart, and oh it will, multiple times. And it's out to make you think- about what's good, what's evil, and what's human. And it will. That is more than reason enough to read it. That is reason to display it proudly on your bookshelf (...or in my case, desk, but that's because this dorm has inadequate shelving).
First up? Pluto. Pluto in general (I also have thoughts regarding certain specifics, which will go elsewhere).
For those of you who have escaped some of my ramblings in recent months don't know, Pluto is Urasawa Naoki's (and Nagasaki Takashi's) re-envisioning of "The Greatest Robot on Earth" arc of Tezuka's Astro Boy. Knowledge of Astro Boy is, however, not required. I, for one, deliberately kept myself from reading the original arc until after I'd read all of Pluto, just so I would be able to enjoy the suspense more. Because this is Astro Boy by way of Blade Runner directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It's a murder mystery which comes to encompass very large issues and provide wonderful character exploration. It's also one of the most heartbreaking things you will ever read. I mean that in the best possible way.
The story follows Gesicht, a detective with Europol who is assigned to a few baffling murders. He also happens to be one of the seven most advanced robots in the world. Which makes him one of the murderer's targets. There's a strong supporting cast, comprised both of Urasawa's versions of the original Tezuka characters (most notably the other greatest robots, some of the scientists as well) and people who are Urasawa's creations entirely (let's have a shout-out for Helena, Professor Hoffman, and Brau 1589). The art is gorgeous, as you would expect, and the series is full of incredibly arresting images. Urasawa has a lot of fun detailing the streamlined futuristic world, from the cities to musical instruments. (Let's also actually give Viz credit here, the domestic release has color pages in each volume!) And the plot, of course, is excellent. Discovering all of its layers is a delight, and it has some incredible moments where your jaw just drops and you sit there in awe. There's a balance in it, between the epic overarching plot and incredibly personal stories about the characters. When these stories intersect, they enhance each other wonderfully. While the main plot is good, what makes it great is when it causes these moments of almost painful insight into the characters.
It has its weaknesses. There are quite a few elements which are on the anvilicious side. The 39th Central Asian Conflict, for example, is very obviously the Iraq War, and Urasawa very obviously did not approve. Certain parts can strain credibility, mostly because there are a few things which just don't get a full explanation, and parts of the ending feel a bit rushed.
But it also has beautiful, subtle layers. Which, for me, are what really make the series. If you look for it, you'll notice things like how Gesicht almost always keeps his arms resting at his sides, how he tends to act more robotic around humans because that's what they expect of him. And the anvilicious side can be mixed with Urasawa's love for observation and understanding. There's a group that is quite clearly the anti-robot equivalent of the KKK. This is evil, no question. We learn a lot about one particular member, though, including the experiences which drove him to become a member of such a group. Is he sympathetic? No. Is he human and understandable? Yes.
It also has some incredible death scenes. Including one of the best I've ever read.
I...cannot recommend this series enough. It is not, in my opinion, Urasawa's best. But huge parts of it are Urasawa at his best. It's out to get you completely absorbed, and it will. It's out to break your heart, and oh it will, multiple times. And it's out to make you think- about what's good, what's evil, and what's human. And it will. That is more than reason enough to read it. That is reason to display it proudly on your bookshelf (...or in my case, desk, but that's because this dorm has inadequate shelving).