Robot Volume 4 (Robot (Udon Entertainment)) (v. 4) [Paperback]

Range Murata (Author, Artist), Yoshitoshi Abe (Author, Artist), Kouji Ogata (Author, Artist), Various (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 25, 2007 | Series: Robot (Udon Entertainment) (Book 4)

The acclaimed full color anthology title continues! Compiled and edited by Range Murata (Last Exile, Blue Submarine No. 6), this quarterly series features anime and manga's most skilled creators. Experience gorgeous stories by Yoshitoshi Abe (Serial Experiments Lain), Kouji Ogata (Boogiepop Phantom), and over a dozen more of Japan's finest artists.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stunning, dark, exhilarating and disturbing, Murata's collection of contemporary Japanese comic art gives an inside view of the explosive work happening there today. The collection begins with an odd, almost wordless little piece, beautifully rendered in watercolor; it seems an innocuous tale of two teenagers taking a ride in the country, but why does the final panel show the boy, laughing, parked on the train tracks? Next is a tale of schoolgirls (it appears there are unshakeable comic conventions, even for the avant-garde set) in space, followed by another postapocalyptic piece about the serendipity of found imagery in the future. The beautiful, the charming and the downright bizarre all have their place in the collection. There are watercolor adventures in an otherworldly villa, a boy who rips the wings off angels, a cartoon bird that proclaims how adorable it is and more than a few well-endowed heroines slinging swords. Though the plotting is at times uneven, every piece is meticulously drawn, with a range of styles including pencil, pen and ink, delicate paint washes, and Technicolor graphics. The final effect is a nearly overwhelming work that bears repeated reading and is a must for older readers interested in contemporary Japanese comics. (July)
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: 160 pages
• Publisher: Udon Entertainment (December 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189737674X
• ISBN-13: 978-1897376744
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #885,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye Candy for All Anime Fans, December 28, 2005

By 

Antonio D. Paolucci "Collector of Entertainment" (Beaver Falls, PA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Robot Volume 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

Robot is not so much a manga book as it is an art book. Few of the stories have any clear-cut meaning, especially since few of them are more than five pages long. And almost all of the stories have as confusing an ending as you'll ever find in an anime or manga. The book is officially called "Super Color Comic: Robots 1: Works in Progress" so none of what is found in this book is a surprise. What is shared by all the stories, however, is that they are smart, and beautifully drawn and colored.

The stories cover all ranges of genres. A lot are haunting tales of murder, while some deal with childhood and the love. One fantasy story deals with witches who are curious about their human neighbors, while a horror story deals with necrophilia and murder. There is a Cowboy Bebop-like actioneer, and not one but two stories about angels, both with a disturbing slant. There is even a few pages donated solely to manga art, no story whatsoever. However, even though some of these stories seem very innocent, this is not a book for children. Nudity, blood, and gore can be found in every other story; there are no "bald spots" in this book (long time anime fans know what I mean).

Range Murata, who created characters for Blue Submarine #6 and Last Exile, compiled this book of supreme Japanese art, and I'm praying that it sells extremely well so that others in this Robot series are released. He was able to get the liveliest collection of artists around, including the character designer for Burst Angel. In the future, there is no telling who else could make an appearance in these books. So, for fans of manga out there, please buy this book. If not for the stories then definitely for the art. Artists or fans of fantasy art should also take a look at this book. It's only so long before this type of art gets recognized in art books like Spectrum, so get a grip on it now while you can.

Beyond that, I'd recommend it to veteran fans of anime. The names and the art styles in this book may seem familiar to some of you. For those of you who like those artsy anime wallpapers that can be found on many websites devoted solely to this, I'd also recommend you take a look. It will be a matter of time before the art in this book becomes available as wallpaper.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There Isn't Much To Say, May 18, 2006

By 

Antonio D. Paolucci "Collector of Entertainment" (Beaver Falls, PA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Robot Volume 2 (v. 2) (Paperback)

There really isn't much to be said about this artful collection of manga, other than that it is a masterpiece. Visually, it's one of the best art books I've ever purchased, and I'm a collector of books on art and the like. The artists that contributed their work to this collection, while not all seasoned professionals, are some of the best in the digital manga field, and it's apparent that they put a lot of love into these stories and the artwork in them.

My personal favorites were "Dragon Fly 2" a continuation of the action story presented in the first Robot; "Wasteland 2," another continuation from volume one from the creator of Lain; "Delicious Adventures," a cute story about three ants' first day out of the hole; and "Eventyr" another continuation though in this it explores a different part of the Eventyr world than in Robot 1. But still, very little in this book left me disappointed, so saying these stories are my personal favorites really isn't saying much. I liked every story in this book, only some a little more than the others.

In the end, though, this isn't a manga. Yes, it uses the manga styling and has some story in its pages, but it is, more than anything, simply an art book showcasing some of the greatest works in digital manga art around. While I'd love to recommend this book, and the first one, to everyone, I really can't because for those of you looking for great stories you'll likely be disappointed. However, if you just want to see some high-quality artwork, then Robot is the top of the field there, and I'd say pick this up as quickly as possible.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beauty and innovation, October 7, 2005

By 

W. Huff (Good Ol' Dorchester, Boston) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Robot Volume 1 (v. 1) (Paperback)

With its striking cover and impressive collection of artists, Robot is sure to draw quite a bit of attention, and for the most part it lives up to expectations.

The only reason you should be buiying this collection is for the art, and it certainly delivers on that aspect. Most of the artists have backgrounds in animation, and it shows. While I'm not a huge fan of anime art, it's undeniable that every story in this is stunningly drawn. With a wide range of styles and techniques, there's something in here for everyone. Each style lends to the story, and some of the atmospheres created (particuarly in the second story and third) are breathtaking.

As for the stories themselves, the fact that many of the artists have little background in manga shows. Most of the stories really aren't worth mentioning. Some don't even attempt to have a coherent narrative, instead focusing strictly on the atmosphere. There are several tales that really leave an impression on the reader, in particular the wonderful slice-of-life story set in the future as well as the haunting "Bitting Summer Play". Even if most of the other tales don't reach this level of exellence, none are particuarly horrible. Besides, you shouldn't be buying this collection for the writing; it's stricktly eye-candy.

So while it doesn't break any new ground in terms of narrative or storytelling, Robot fufills its promise of providing gorgeous visuals. As of October, it looks like this is the best manga artbook of 2005.

*Concerning the other reviewers complaint that the binding came loose, DMP has fixed this issue in time for the first printing.