This is the story of a gang of boys who try to save the world!; As boys, Kenji and his friends came up with a bunch of stories about an evil organization bent on world destruction. As adults, someone is now turning their fantasies into reality! R to L (Japanese Style). The giant robot has already been built and now awaits the Great Awakening... With the Friend's identity still a mystery, the countdown to the apocalypse continues, day by day, minute by minute--for on December 31, 2000, humanity will meet its final hour. Hoping to get as many people who knew about their group's emblem involved in their clandestine efforts, Kenji's crew reaches out to their childhood antagonists: the twins Mabo and Yanbo. Back when they were kids, Yanbo and Mabo terrorized Kenji and company to no end. As adults, and with a crisis looming, will the evilest brothers in history now fight on the side of good? Humanity, having faced extinction at the end of the 20th century, would not have entered the new millennium if it weren't for them. In 1969, during their youth, they created a symbol. In 1997, as the coming disaster slowly starts to unfold, that symbol returns. This is the story of a gang of boys who try to save the world.
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Born in Tokyo in 1960, Naoki Urasawa's career as a manga artist spans three decades and has firmly established him as one of the true manga masters of his generation. A graduate of Meisei University, Urasawa debuted with Return! in 1981 and hasn't stopped his impressive output since. Well-versed in a variety of genres, Urasawa's oeuvre encompasses a multitude of different subjects, such as romantic comedies (Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl), gritty urban dramas (Pineapple ARMY), swashbuckling detective stories (Master Keaton), captivating psychological thrillers (Monster and 20th Century Boys) and modern reinterpretations of the work of the God of Manga, Osamu Tezuka (Pluto: Urasawa × Tezuka). Many of his books have spawned equally popular animated series, and 2008 saw the theatrical release of the first of three live-action Japanese films based on 20th Century Boys.No stranger to accolades and awards, Urasawa has received the Kodansha Manga Award, and is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award and a two-time recipient of the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize.Similarly, Monster has been nominated twice for the Eisner Award in America. Urasawa has also become involved in the world of academia, and in 2008 accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University, where he teaches courses in, of course, manga. Combining a breathtaking cinematic visual style with stories known for their penetrating psychological depth and maturity, Naoki Urasawa remains one of the most exciting creators working in the medium of comics today.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting. And they're wasting no time,
By animate ~ "Rob" (Fayetteville, NC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 5 (Paperback)
If you've been keeping up with this series, you know how exciting the 4th volume was. This one takes things up a notch as it brings us the the actual night of the "Friend"s attack, December 31st, 2000. Wasting no time between accusations of Kenji's terrorizing and all out street-war, Urasawa spins the story as quickly as possible, moving seven of the nine friends of Kenji's together, in a covert and now demonized troupe out against the actual purveyors of evil, the "Friend" and his FDP.
Without spoiling too much, Urasawa takes us through both the events of the final night AND the events of the life of Kanna, fourteen years after Kenji's group had saved the world. Or did they? Things are still not completely revealed and a lot of gray area exists between characters and events that are alluded to but not seen. At least not in this volume. Along with the snappy writing, that's what makes this one of the best shonen manga on the market in '09 - Urasawa takes a consistently slow-burn approach in revealing information. There is always a pay-off that is satisfying and leaving you anxious for more. Let's only hope the rest of the series can live up to how great this has been so far.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Urasawa you tease!,
By
This review is from: Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 5 (Paperback)
This review contains minor spoilers.
For 4 books 20th Century Boys has teased and built towards the final battle to save world on December 31, 2000, there have been flashbacks and flashfowards to hint at would happen. In book 5 the day finally arrives and Kenji and his band come together for the final battle against the friends. And you turn the page and... It's 14 years later. We have a new status quo, new characters and new new conflicts. The results of that battle are hinted at and teased some more but nothing is confirmed. We'll just have to keep reading to find out. It's a bold move that could have gone very wrong but Urasawa pulls it off. And it's one that's sure to keep me on the hook for a good long time.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Every volume of this is great!,
By Chihiro (Boston Ma) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 5 (Paperback)
Urasawa is one of the best storytellers and artists around. I can't say enough good things about 20th Century Boys and Pluto. I'm one of those people who can tell how a tv show or book is going to end at the beginning.
Urasawa keeps me guessing about what will happen next. Please check out Monster and Master Keaton too.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
