Darkside Blues [Paperback]

Hideyuki Kikuchi (Author), Yuho Ashibe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2004

In the near future, almost the entire world lies in the iron grip of a huge conglomerate, the Persona Century Corporation. One day, a mysterious good-looking man appears in Shinjuku, one of the few places not dominated by Persona Century. Shinjuku is a dangerous and lawless place, teeming with rebels and terrorists. The stranger's name is Dark Side - and with the help of a small band of rebels, he will attempt to break Persona's stranglehold on the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Japanese original of this unusual manga dates from 1993. Considering the high quality of artist Ashibe's work in it, the long wait to be Englished seems odd. But lack of resolution dogs its story line, and the ending, which begs a sequel as yet unplanned, probably made it a hard sell. Set mostly in Darkside, the free sector in a Tokyo otherwise owned by the tyrannical Persona Century Corporation, it opens in the aftermath of a terrorist (i.e., freedom fighters') attack on Persona's space-platform headquarters. A single terrorist escapes to Darkside, followed shortly by an English Regency-style fellow driving a coach and four. Both cross paths with the story's principals, the young members of the street gang Messiah, who fight like the dickens to help the fugitive reunite with his fellow revolutionaries. The bittersweet ending is compounded by loose ends dangling from as far back as the opening pages, but Ashibe draws virtuosically throughout, often so intricately that a composition must be minutely scrutinized. More dazzling than mind-boggling. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: ADV Manga (April 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141390002X
• ISBN-13: 978-1413900026
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,022,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hideyuki Kikuchi is considered to be the master horror writer of Japan by American fandom, often compared to Stephen King.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Overall Goodness, May 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Darkside Blues (Paperback)

Well a few years back, I watched the anime version of "Darkside Blues" and I was quite enthralled by the mysterious character Darkside. The anime confused me at points. But after reading the manga all the pieces fell together. The plot makes so much more sense now. The plot was a lot less subtle and the anime dropped and changed many things. I loved the art in this manga. Yuho did a superior job with the frames and the characters. And I loved use of the theme of dark and light. I am really glad I bought this book. The movie is worth buying but if you really truly want to understand the story that is "Darkside Blues" buy the manga first. And its cheaper and when you hear someone talking about the movie you can tell them that the book was better like all those other snobby book readers out there. Heh. Just kidding.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The manga in English . . . at long last!, May 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Darkside Blues (Paperback)

Despite the majority of people who bash the anime version of "Darkside Blues", I found I enjoyed it immensely. The main character is most intriguing, and the drawings make him more beautiful than his anime counterpart. I'd recommend this manga to people who say they don't understand the anime; and for those who do enjoy the anime, it will deepen your appreciation.