The space western: Trigun Maximum

Most avid anime fans are familiar with the anime Trigun, however few realize there were two manga that followed the events of the series. The first catalogues earlier events in the series (and was released before the anime in Japan) and is followed up with the long running and one more independent from the anime, Trigun Maximum. It is a shame this manga series is over looked, because it is just as good if not better then the T.V. show for number of reasons. This manga deserves more credit and recognition then it gets, which is the reason I have chosen to review it.

The art style of the manga is somewhat similar to the T.V. show, however there are major differences in the art style that set it apart from the anime. Most noticeably different are the designs in the insurance girls Milly and Meryl, though just about ever character design including Vash has a special flavor adapted for the manga. The characters design in Maximum have a nice variety of physical and emotional traits that draw in the reader’s interests. The facial features are especially well draw, allowing characters to exhibit a vast array of emotion, whether it is comical to sorrowful or pensive the emotion convincing. What is most impressive about Maximum is its ability to come at you from ever-possible angle, as though the drawings were taken from stills of a film. Much like MW it uses a variety of angles and panel sizes to capture the action in many angles. Occasionally it tries to hard to be creative and images become confusing do to this detail, but overall the format works more often then not to its advantage. As far as background goes it is both complex and complete or (especially during action) a simple shade grey, black or action lines. Although, this helps add to the drama of the action and/or helps prevent confusion, it would be nice to see the same quality backgrounds a majority of the time. Overall the art is usually very high of quality and is a major boost to the storyline.

The Maximum quickly moves away from the T.V. storyline to create a thrilling story with more complication and explanation then was found in the anime. It still carries the same absence of a complex plot, however it’s simple plot allows for thrilling stories despite being somewhat unimaginative. The plot follows the hero Vash the Stampede who is wanted for destruction of a city and putting a hole in the moon. Vash is actually a super being created by humans known as a plant, plants carry immense amounts of power within the their bodies which can be harnessed as weapons or power sources.

Vash is plagued with trouble caused by his evil brother Knives (his name kind of gives away the evil part) who is disgusted with humans and seeks to destroy them, as well as convince his brother that humans deserve death. Knives forces Vash against his will to destroy a city, placing a high bounty on him. To make things worse Knives hires a powerful psychic who he cripples and who slavishly serves him named Legato Bluesummer, a transvestite (transsexual?) known as Elendira the Crimsonnail and a cast of elite assassins known as the Gun-Ho Guns.

Vash along with his partner Nicholas T. Wolfwood (a wandering priest/gunman armed with a giant cross gun) now Vash most seek out and stop Knives from destroying humanity. Vash most do this while protecting humans and harboring his vowed never to kill again as well as dealing those after his large bounty. Although the plot is very loose it is not the plot so much as the characters that make this story work well. An interesting element added in Maximum is the ethics of the use of the plants life force as power sources. This gives Knives more of a reason for his hatred with humans, but also he turns out to be little better then the humans, as absorbs his own kind for power. This creates an interesting ethical issue, however this issue beyond what the story can handle. The stories plot lack complex issues to keep it interesting on it’s own and it is up to the characters to create interest.

Where this story really stands out is the complexity many characters within it, both the heroes and villains are fleshed out far better then the anime. Each character has far more time in the manga to develop personality, giving you a clearer idea of their motivation and personality. The character that seems to benefit the most from this is Nicholas T. Wolfwood who is assigned by Knives to travel with Vash. Wolfwood is forced throughout the story to constantly to question his beliefs and action; he believes in killing as the only permanent solution to the problems he and Vash face from villains. Wolfwood is constantly frustrated by Vash’s unwillingness to kill and determination to save people. Wolfwood at the same time feels an inner guilt for those he has killed and at the same time is unsure about his position guarding Vash for Knives. Another character that is clearly differently treated is Legato Bluesummer’s, who appears more human and inhuman at the same time. His crippled nature, appearance and enjoyment in human slaughter makes him seem more monstrous, while at the same time he displays more emotion then in the anime such as jealousy and anger especially toward the top Gun-Ho Gun Elendira. Even Knives is given far more personality and importance in the story, though he still is an underdeveloped character.  He simply loathes humans and wishes for Vash to see humans as he does.

Characters behave also in the manga form are more believable behaving then in the anime. The Gun-Ho Guns for example have more internal disputes among each other and have their own personal objectives. Many times they even clash physically with one another. Maximum keeps much of the humor found earlier in the series, which helps to keep the story for always being to dark and brooding. Another nice change is the additional stories one-shot stories, which are just as well crafted as the main plot and just as enjoyable. The main problems in this work come for the vast and fast moving storylines which can switch from comical to serious and back relatively quickly. On top of that the reader is given a lot of story relatively quickly and much of it is important to remember.

Overall this is a thrilling tale, although the main plot is sub par the characterization and art make up for this by filling in the holes. Despite a few big flaws, this manga stands alone from the anime and features many important advantages that the anime lacks. It is intelligently written while still retaining a fast action packed speed. For those who liked the anime or simply like a fast and thoughtful story this is certainly a good read. For those who are not familiar with the Trigun series it might be good see the anime or pick up the first two volumes of the manga. However it isn’t imperative to watch the series or read the earlier manga understanding Trigun Maximum.

Gangster swing: Mugzy’s Move

In recent years there has been a strong resurgence of swing mixed with more modernistic material. Some of these approaches include the mixing of Dixieland with swing taken by the Jack Sheldon Big Band, a more modern jazz push of groups such as The Big Phat Band and, most noticeably a movement known as, “Swing Revival.” The first band that publicized this movement was The Royal Crown Revue. This groups approach to swing is very different take then even many other Swing Revivalist groups like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. After to listening to few of the group’s albums, I decided to comment about Mugzy’s Move because it not only characterizes the Revue, but also is their best work (in my opinion).

Two-Thirds music of Mugzy’s Move is without question in the Swing Revival style. The Revue mixes its swing with other genera’s just as many other Swing Revivalist bands, however unlike most other revivalist bands it mixes the swing with rockabilly and jump blues music. Their music swings to a strong rock pulse to create a unique blend of styles. The other third of the music is a mix of somewhat more classical swing, bebop and even contains a crooner tune. This consistency mixed along with the large of variety of the albums creates a good mix of genera’s while staying true to it’s own special style.

The Royal Crown Revue’s instrumentation and style is really what sets them apart from other swing bands. Even from the first track it is clear that the band employs a vocal style that sounds like the vocals belong to Warner Bros 1930’s gangster film set to music. This works surprisingly well with most of the pieces and adds to the vibe of the music. The instrumentation in this album is nothing like your typical swing band; instead of a big band there are only four horns on the album (two saxes, one trumpet). Another element that gives this band their unusual sound is the lack of piano within the rhythm section and instead the inclusion of a guitar. These elements within the voicing of The Royal Crown Revue music create a need for a new style to accompany the voicing.

This set up is used to create a very different style of swing then other bands used before the Swing Revival era for swing. The Revue’s line up is designed for lots motion within swing and focuses upon the gangster vocals. To do this most of the horn lines either emphasize the melody or are powerful punches. Beyond the drummer Daniel Glass who pushes the grove forward and Eddie Nicholas the singer, the instrumentalist themselves don’t really on their own stand out much. This is because of a lack of really difficult independent lines or memorable solos that express beyond the theme of the music. As a group however, the sound meshes and works together to create a mood for the Nicholas’s vocals. Without the driving horn backgrounds the whole mood of the pieces would be lost, despite Nicholas’s charm, make the few musicians still very important to the group. Although the horns do play an important role in the group, it is the functionality of the drummer and vocals that are the key to piece’s quality.

The selection of material here is done with a lot of care, their is a nice mix of both original, rearranged and old works. Some works like “Zip Gun Bop” and, “Hey Pachuco!” are created by the band members and feature powerful hits, vocals, and drum work. Others are classic covers of songs  “I love the life I live,” “Beyond the Sea,” and, “Topy.” These classics take on new character with the jazz licks added to them in the horns, while “Barflies at the Beach,” does the opposite by barrowing the instrumental sections from “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and adding new lyrics to the song.  What all the songs have in common is a signature style of the Revue.

Mugzy’s Move is the best example of Royal Crown Revue album I heard before. It’s driving beat, special instrumentation and style sets it apart from other swing groups. Though it may not be the most complex music even of it’s type, it is an exciting, and well-crafted album. If you like rockin’ swing or 1930’s gangster movies then this definitely the album for you. If not then this album is definitely worth a listen, you may find something hep’.

GO SOUTH: Fist of the North Star

The manga Fist of the North Star is considered by many manga critics as a classic among the senien genera of manga. In anime and manga form, it has received much recognition and was the fifth highest selling of Shonen Jumps weekly works in 2007. All these awards however cannot hide the ineptitude of this manga. Nothing about it from the moment you see the cover is appealing and for many reasons this manga  left me with a bad taste in my mouth after reading it.

As stated above, this is one book you can judge by its cover and should be avoided despite being very detailed and crafted. The art is indeed detailed, however it is overly detailed work in certain areas, however this only presents the weaknesses of the art more clearly. It would have been better for the work focus on it’s big picture then to prematurely get the details right. Many pages have very simple backgrounds or simply lack backgrounds at all. This lack of background is common of manga with artwork that is lackluster and, is often a good indicator of the quality of the overall work. Most works with this sort contain complex and carefully planned backgrounds, even works which aren’t so good such as Apple Seed have better backgrounds than Fist of the North Star. It is a clear sign that corners have been cut in the artwork when the backgrounds are poor. Despite many tricks the artwork boils down to poses and is stiff lacking fluid movement. Sure there are some nice scenes (such as a flip being played out in a single panel), however as a whole many drawing seem lifeless underlining the lack of work on the overall picture. Though the art seems like it could have potential if it were more lively and, less corners were cut, it is clear it lack basic elements that are necessary to be of quality.

The most problematic thing about this work is the character design, which is disturbing and repulsive and, immediately turned me off just by looking at the cover.  The basis for character designs of Fist of the North Star seems like a take on Western character design, making the comic appear more like an American comic book by Frank Miller then manga. This design type might not have been a terrible thing if it was done some other way (though this is still not likely), however the way characters are draw is simply ugly in an extremely disturbing way. Most of the characters including Kenshiro the hero end up looking like ugly muscle bound biker rejects from Sin City or another brutal American comic. A majority of the characters seem inhumanly ripped; making the few more human looking character seem out-of-place despite being more realistic (more on this later). The cut and dry art style lacks emotional depth within the characters faces, allowing the faces to express only toughness, greed and/or anger. Fist of the North Star’s art constantly not only fails to convince the reader of the emotional integrity of the work, it also only brings out the weakness within the story with all its creepy reclusive character anatomy.

The ugly art is still barely better than for what passes (or more likely fails) in Fist of the North Star for a story. Within the first few pages there are problems with the story that can be spotted. The story begins in a world ravaged by nuclear war (in 1998 for some reason), where the world is barren desert wasteland and humans are the only animals left. This brings up many problems that are left unexplained, first off how can humans some how survive without animals on a desert planet, where water is nearly impossible to find? Secondly how did humanity survive this nuclear war while everything else died? What sort of war was this, what started it and how did it end up making the world a desert (since when did radiation created deserts)?  Why do humans still have jeeps, and yet lack any gunpowder or more other more advanced forms of weapons? Lastly why is humanity filled with so many incredibly ugly men that love to do reckless evil (such as killing and enslaving normal looking humans) and have muscle that looks like they were directly fed by steroids or inflated like balloons some how? It would have made more sense not to include this under developed back-story at all and simply set this in a science fiction world (such as in Trigun) then this weak premise.

The story goes on to introduce the hero Kenshiro a mighty martial artist who is the successor to the ancient, “Hokuto Shinken,” a powerful technique that blows people up from the inside. Basically the plot revolves around him going around killing in cold blood other muscle bound opponents, who enslave and kill innocent people. Many of these villains take up the command of higher up like a Colonel or King who for some reason rule them. There is no questioning of Kenshiro’s mass murder spree, despite the fact that it is only excuse for acceptability is because he is killing supposedly to protect the innocent. The villains also carry almost no remorse for their actions and seem to lack any sort of humanist or redeeming emotion for explaining their actions. You’d think that the only remotely humanist kid sidekick of Kenshiro, Bart would be a breath of fresh air; however he is simply just as an annoying character for some reason as the rest of the cast (perhaps because he idolizes Kenshiro and is generic). Sprinkled into this mess is silly martial arts dialogue that sounds like it belongs in a bad dub of a low budget Hong Kong martial arts film. If this dialogue were in a more pulpy book which was less pompous and, gruesome story this type of speech might be amusing, but in here it’s just plain stupid. Stick this together and, you get some one of the most unpleasant, worst crafted and, un-imaginative stories of all time (which is saying quite a bit for a manga). Their is enough reasons already stated give this story a skip this at least twice just because of the story, but wait theirs more!

It’s hard to say much about characterization separate from the story, because characters lack almost any personality traits. Everyone in the story is either a bad ass or a helpless oppressed person. Kenshiro is only different from the villains in three ways, he fights for those in need, he never shows any fear and, is more confident in his abilities then arrogant (though he is very very cocky). Most villains are toadies who pick on the weak and serve a slightly tougher (but just as stupid) leader. The leaders in both the stories I read (yes it pains me to say I read two complete plot lines) are practically the same character in personality; both are power hungry and believe some how that their evil deeds are justifiable for some non-explained reason. I’d have been surprised that they were both leaders, if it weren’t for the fact that their henchmen are just as moronic as they are. Both the King and Colonel villains act like slow-witted and selfish children, they simply take what they want and treat others without any sort of remorse. Overall Fist of the North Star characterization is so poorly done, that having the characters act like logs would have a better than personalities given to them in the manga.

With unappealing art, an underdeveloped (or perhaps non-existing story) and some of the worst characterization I have ever seen, I’m amazed this is considered a classic. This is one of the most clichéd, needlessly violent and boring manga I have ever read. The two arcs I read were are almost identical in tone to each other, and providing I never enjoyed the first story within the first story arc, the second was even harder for me to read through. The best short description of this manga I can give it is that it is tedious, bloody and overly pompous. Nothing within this manga beyond how unpleasant it is to read really memorable at all for me. Avoid Fist of the North Star believe me it’s not worth reading no matter how many awards it has received.