Customer Reviews

One-Pound Gospel, Vol. 1 (Viz Graphic Novel)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One Pound Gospel is Takahashi Rumiko's story of Hatanaka Kosaku, professional boxer and amateur glutton. Hatanaka has the potential to be a great fighter, if only he could tame his voracious appetite enough to stay below his weight limit. Suddenly he finds new inspiration in Sister Angela, the pretty young novice who moves into the local convent/day school. Will Kosaku manage to make weight for his next fight? Will he convince Sister Angela to forsake her vows for him? Will anyone care by the time this book is done?

Don't get me wrong - I am a Takahashi fan, and love most of her work, from classics like Maison Ikkoku and Urusei Yatsura to more recent work such as the Mermaid saga. But One-Pound Gospel just is missing something for me. For one thing, this is a series that cannot seem to decide whether it is a sports saga or a romantic comedy. The two have been successfully mixed before, most notably in Yawara!, but this seems to do neither one very well. Perhaps this is in part because so many of the scenarios in this book have been seen before. Many of the erstwhile romantic moments and/or humorous characterizations have been seen in Maison Ikkoku or Ranma, and they were frankly funnier in the original. How many times can we see the male love interest get drunk, fall asleep, and pin the female love interest under his comatose body? How many times can we see a woman who should know better get drunk in public and defend a man against his critics, all the while denying that she feels anything toward him?

The artwork is vintage Takahashi, and as such is wonderful to look at. One might quibble over the fact that Kosaku, who is supposed to be so overweight and out of shape that he must go on starvation diets before a fight, looks like he just stepped off the page of a solaflex ad. However since depictions of fat people in manga are few and far between, this is not suprising.

All in all, the Takahashi completist will want to read these books, just to see everything that the master has done. Someone unacquainted with Takahashi's work would be well advised to start with something with a better storyline such as Maison Ikkoku or Ranma.

A comical, sweet blend of sports, romance and hilarius blunders, this series is a master piece. Atmitedly, I may be slightly biassed, considering this is the first of it's genre I ever read, but I was impressed by the animation and the storyline. Sister Angela, the main female character, is sweet without being ridiculously naive, an interesting contrast to Kosaku's, inoccent, happy-go-lucky nature. This unlikely and uncertain duo is delightful and sure to please. I cannot recomend this series enough.

I bought the first volume of this in a musty old book store, picking it up because I'm a big Takahashi fan. She seems to me to be the queen of creating what I like to call "loveable yet clueless jerks." Her male leads are usally vartiations on this. They mean well, but don't seem to pay very much attention. Kosaku is not exception. He's a goof, a guy who lets his stomach rule his mind, yet belives that everything will turn out ok in the end. This isn't ground breaking stuff- just more of Takahashi doing what she does best. Interesting characters, and a solid tradmark style- this is worth a look.

I absolutely love this series!I have to be a bit disappointed in that one cynical reveiwer.I've only read her newest series, Inu-Yasha, and part of Mermaid's Gaze, so the jokes are new to me.Oh, well.This series is hilarious, especially how Kosaku seems to always forget how because of Sister Angela being a nun complicates things. Basically, it starts out with Kosaku-a promising, but obviously struggling boxer.He meets a young nun named Angela, who helps him on his almost futile attempts to lose weight.Somehow, before evry game, Kosaku manages to be just below the featherweight category's weight limit.Throughout the series, he learns a couple of lessons and so does Angela, and I have to admit, they look like such a cute couple.I sound like my mother.Ja ne!See ya!

A more dedicated romance than Ranma 1/2 or InuYasha, this is one of Rumiko's greatest works. Focusing less on sports than let on, it's mainly about Kosaku loosing weight! I strongly recommend One Pound Gospel!

Rumiko Takahashi's One Pound Gospel is a winner. If you're a fan of any of her other manga you're sure to enjoy this story and art as well. Rumiko's talent lies in creating instantly recognizable characters with lots of personality. Her stories take unexpected turns and always have a wonderful mix of drama and humour. This is no exception. A must-have for any Rumiko fan. Enjoy the story of a boxer who can't control his eating and the nun who tries to help him. Romantic comedy at its best.

This is a great book. I belive the other reviewer may have been to analytical. This is a good read. If you want to take apart a peice of writing, do it to a book, not a comic. Fans of Takahashi will love this.

Excellent! If you like Ranma 1/2 , Maison Ikkoku and other works by Rumiko Takahashi, then you'll love this one!