Louie The Rune Solider Volume 1 [Paperback]

Tesshô Genda (Actor), Ryôtarô Okiayu (Actor), Douglas Taylor (Actor), Kôji Nakata (Actor), Ken Webster (Actor), Martin Burke (III) (Actor), Charles Campbell (II) (Actor), Robert Rudie (Actor), Jessica Robertson (Actor), Larry Goode (Actor), Kaneto Shiozawa (Actor), Amy L. Gamber (Actor), Osamu Saka (Actor), David Jones (XIV) (Actor), Jeanette Sieh (Actor), Mari Mashiba (Actor), Sammy Harte (Actor), Gary G. Haddock (Actor), Takeshi Aono (Actor), Edwin Neal (Actor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2004

Few would consider Louie to be a sorcerer - especially Melissa, Merrill and Genie. (After all, what kind of "sorcerer" spends his time drinking at bars and beating the stuffing out of the local street toughs?)But much to the chagrin of these three gorgeous female adventurers, divine will has dictated that Louie, the enchanter-gone-street fighter, is in fact a prophesized hero - who they must pledge themselves to serve! Could this bad-boy possibly have what it takes to be a hero? Or has the war god Mylee made a mistake? With a bevy of babes at his side, Louie launches into a series of adventures that range from the harrowing to the bizarre. Get ready for swords, magic, and lots of black eyes and broken noses, because when Louie fights, it's no holds barred!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stop us if you've heard this one: a feckless antihero finds himself beset by a handful of sexy, powerful women who, for vague reasons, insist on accompanying and "serving" him through a series of absurd adventures, rife with male-female badinage and sexual titillation. This boy-and-babes formula is a familiar one in manga, seen in such hits as Tenchi Muyo! and Love Hina. Here, the setting is a thinly sketched sword-and-sorcery milieu, played strictly for laughs, while the protagonist is Louie, a brawler chosen by divine intervention to become the "hero" for three female adventurers. The trio recognize Louie is a clod, but are nonetheless fated to serve him. Louie, an amoral loser of faint prospects, is the kind of ne'er-do-well so popular among role-playing gamers; predictably, though, the story hints at his hidden depths. one of several new entries from the recently-launched ADV Manga line, this workwas originally published in Japan in 2000, and ties into the anime series Maho Senshi Riui (known here as Rune Soldier). The manga adaptation is the work of artist Sasameyuki, whose compositions are nigh on illegible and whose sense of atmosphere is nil (he gives no attention to creating a distinct world). Despite odd flashes of visual wit, the story is bankrupt and the storytelling confused, though manga diehards may stay the course.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Louie is the foster son of Carwess, the great magician, next in line in a series of great mages. However, he prefers his fists to a magic wand and is content to frequent the local watering hole instead of the pages of his spell books. Content, that is, until three attractive devotees of the war god Mylee–a warrior, a priestess, and a thief (all accomplished swordsmen, so to speak)–show up at his bar and pick a fight with him. He ends up spending the night in prison, only to be told by them that Mylee has declared Louie their hero and that they are to serve him. Needless to say, they are not happy. They go on an adventure, seeking treasure in a ruin that turns out instead to be a goblin lair. More fighting ensues, and Louie, in all of his brash uncouth, turns out to be somewhat endearing after all. The story ends with the adventurers preparing for another daring escapade in volume two. The art will not disappoint manga devotees, nor will the action-packed story line. The plot is somewhat thin, though, and relies on numerous fight scenes and clichéd interactions among characters to move the story along. A quick read, little else.–J. M. Poole, East Rochester Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: ADV Manga (April 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0001GWAZ6
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,775,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the Ninja Scroll Sequel, February 24, 2000

By 

"junglist" (Dallas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ninja Resurrection (DVD)

I work in an anime rental shop so i get this all the time. Everyone and their mom loves "Ninja Scroll" but nobody, and i mean nobody likes this one. Here is why: everbody starts this movie up expecting N. Scroll pt2...when it is NOT the same artist, author, or creator of ninja scroll. The only two things that mislead are 1.ninja in the title 2.the main character has the same first name. I am telling you now, THIS IS NOT NINJA SCROLL 2! If you are like me and you just want more samurai action with a cleaner art style than ninja scroll, then this is for you. The story hits a cool aspect of christianity in japanese culture and its abolishment and what it leads to. Definately just as gory, fast paced, and samurai as ninja scroll, but in my eyes...better than.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unpleasant Come Back, January 6, 2003

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ninja Resurrection (DVD)

Early 17th Century Japan was a particularly grim period. It is marked by the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate, several abortive efforts to open Japan up to the world and a bloody rebellion by the small Christian minority that led to the exclusion of foreigners from Japan for over 200 years. The Christian rebellion and its suppression at Shimbara was a struggle with few heroes and all too many villains on both sides. 'Ninja Resurrection' tells a part of the story of those events, combining both history and legend in its telling.

Jubei Yagyu, a historical figure, was sword instructor to the Tokugowa regime, as well as in regular use as a spy and assassin. Therefore, it is no surprise that Jubei was sent to invade the Christian stronghold at Shimbara to weaken the fortification and, if possible, assassinate the leaders of the rebellion. Tokisada Shiro Amakusa, whose followers thought he was the new Christ, was killed, and the rebellion collapsed. The result was a massacre - 37,000 Christians dead at the cost of less than 2,000 samurai.

The prophecy that declared Shiro to be the returned Christ also -redicts that, if frustrated, he will return as Satan. The first part of this DVD tells about Shimbara, and sets the scene for the second part, the incarnation of Satan. Here we have a little pastiche about Yagyu clan home life followed by a demonic sex scene and the rebirth from a woman's corpse of the slain Shiro. Somehow, Shiro's reanimation includes the return of 4 of Japan's most legendary swordmen as demons.

And now comes this DVD's greatest flaw. There is no resolution or conclusion, just an abrupt end. Nor is there any sign of an anime follow up, although there have been several other films (not anime) that deal with Jubei's further adventures. Being left cold at a point that feels like the middle of the plot definite has a chilling effect on one's enjoyment. This is a shame, because the artwork and acting in these two episodes really is excellent, and a continuation would certainly have been successful. Beware, the film contains some very adult scenes and an amazing amount of bloody violence.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A disappointment..., March 9, 2001

By 

James William Cook, Jr. "jamesisin" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ninja Resurrection (DVD)

Knowing this was in no way related to Ninja Scroll, I went ahead and purchased it based on the good reviews it has gotten from folks who actually liked it. Good for them; they can watch it over and over.

I found the story--what there was of a story--in both of the two shorts to be painfully inconsistant. For example, one historical character that is refered to will not commit suicide (and is consequently tortured) due to his Christian beliefs; however, another character (likely the most important character) is about to commit suicide in spite of his Christ-like status when the story (yet again) changes direction. No real character development occurs nor does any plot development for that matter.

Now, about that animation... Well, if your idea of really slick animation is panning across stills done in a traditional Chinese (yes, Chinese) painterly style, then this film is for you. However, if you grade your animation by the fluidity of motion, the creativity of scene, and the life-like character of the fantasy created, I recommend you check out the Brothers Quay Collection. Of course, if you want to stick to the traditional ninja story with excellent animation, there is always Ninja Scroll.