Customer Reviews

Saikano, Vol. 1

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

 

 

If you ever have reached that point where you think that there really isn't anything innovative left in today's anime and manga then you must not have read Saikano (Saishuu-heiki Kanojo). This is one story that manages to juggle various genre, and successfully reach the hearts of both guys and girls alike. It's a modern day love story, it has mecca-driven sci-fi style, it's a story of war and of friendship, of loss and of pain... It's a little bit of everything for everybody. It's a story destined not to let you down.

I say all this with a small warning for parents. The story begins where the two main characters are innocents, so nothing happens, but the thought of sex is ever present. There is not much physically... in the beginning... But be warned that by the seventh volume our protagonist's story will definitely be NC17 worthy.

I usually hate any love stories. I just meet them with cold unethusiasm because no one seems to get it right enough. Well, this story doesn't just get it right, it gets to the point that anyone-even the cynic- can see love as the most beautiful and painful thing there is.

The thing I noticed about the story is that the situation with Chise is treated in a very unusual way- probably the best of any high-schooler-in-a-war-zone story I've ever seen. The military talk is technical, official, and it completely goes over Chise's head- which is why it's perfect, because realistically they wouldn't break formalities to accomadate one confused schoolgirl, even if she is the megaweapon. So it sounds authentic, but not tedious at all. It sets up the book as more believable and Chise as more likable.

The story's in Shuji's point of view most of the time, but it goes to Chise once in a while. So you hear everything first hand from one of the lovers. And you see how much his love for Chise consumes and scares him, but not in a sappy way-in a very heavy, desperate, and determined way. It literally puts love in perspective. There's a lot of words, but they're emotional words, and you'll find yourself going slower than you usually would with a manga so Shuji's deep inner thoughts on love reaches you better. You'll read them over and over and then sit quietly in reflection. This manga is something that has a lot of reread value, because of course everyone's feelings on love changes as time goes on.

The art is... what I'd call evanescently innocent. Most of the pictures look a little ghostly. But the characters are cute abnd childish for the seriousness of the story, and sketchy. Though highly stylized, it fits the plot perfectly. Saikano's trademark feature, though, would be the nonstop blushing.

The relationships between all the characters-major and minor- are simply amazing.I f you've ever been in love, it'll break your heart- and if you haven't, you'd wish you'd had been just so you could understand.

Some people say they'd do anything for the person they love. You'll see lots of that (and MORE, MUCH MORE) in Saishuu Heiki Kanojo, the story of Chise and Shuji, two highschool sweethearts that have an unusual relationship because of the communication problems they have, not mentioning that Chise is a weapon...
The plot of the story isd just fantastic and what's most important it makes you THINK. You won't just eat the argument up whan you read the comic book.
I'd qualify it for 16+ ages due to the explicital sexual content in some of the books and the extreme violence.

I really wanted to like this manga. The story is compelling, the reader can identify with the characters, and the ending is EXTREMELY disturbing and thought-provoking. There are, however, two big problems with the series as a whole.

One, while the draftsmanship is competent enough to get the point across, the sketchy, tossed-off character art looks unskilled to my eye. The lines are all of the same width, and while computer compositing is used extensively to try to give a sense of depth, the lack of contrast makes the whole affair look somewhat monotonous. It is serviceable art, but no more.

But the real failure of Saikano is the writing. Words in a graphic narrative should be as few as possible and carefully chosen. Takahashi's characters talk too much, drowning any emotional resonance in endless dialogue--their internal monologues are especially bad. The dialogue itself isn't terrible, there's just far, far, too much of it. the pages are jammed with it, giving the manga a very cluttered, claustrophobic feel that makes for an unpleasant reading experience. In my first review, I laid a hefty portion of blame on the translation team, but upon re-reading the series I realize that I was being unfair (sincerest apologies, Mr. Caselman). The translation is actually quite decent, with only a few obvious missteps. The blame lies with the source material. _Saikano_ has a serious telling-instead-of-showing problem.

There are so many moments in this manga that could have been great, if only the characters had known when to shut up, if only the dialogue had been a little less maddeningly vague, if only the art had been up to the task, if only, if only, if only. Too many "if onlys". It's still worth reading for the story, but the missed opportunities made me sadder than the tragic human drama _Saikano_ attempts to describe.

Saikano is, hands down, an amazing manga... it's beautiful in many aspects. The art, the sad love story, and even the dialogue... everything is written and drawn flawlessly. It's easy for anyone to understand, yet it really pulls at your emotions. I don't find it "depressing," but it is a serious series. You'll probably, like me, be hooked by the first volume. It's all just such a GOOD read and so... sincere!
Note... If you like more of a cheerful manga, then Saikano is not for you. Also, be warned that it contains death, war, sex, violence, language and etc.

The story is very powerful and moving, I almost cried several times. The art I didn't notice very much, nothing special but not bad either.

I'd rate it 13+. There is some sexuality (not much, just talking about it and one time where the girl has her shirt off) and violence.

This story is awesome. Saikano is a heart wretching story about one couple's will to live and love in the mist of war even in the event of the end of the world. The female lead is a shy, clumsy girl who has been modified by the military into the ultimate weapon. Her boyfriend is just a regular guy trying to come to grips by what is happening to his girlfriend. The author/illustrator does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life. The artwork is sketchy but this story is an absolute must read for any Manga fan. This Manga is for mature readers. It is 7 volumes.

Being a manga collector I must admit that this is the worst series I happen to have bought. I was looking for something new to get and since it had an editor's choice logo on it I thought that it must be pretty good. Yeah...the self appointed praise should have been my first clue. This series is pointless and dumb. Somehow I'm supposed to 'feel' the struggle of this girl who is in love and is also some super weapon. The story itself is just simply lame. It's not believable in the least I couldn't get into the relationship aspect of the story at all. That part being the whole point of the series to begin with. Plus I don't want to see detailed sex scenes with kids. That's just gross. Couple that with a crappy story say hello to regretting to pay money for this.

If you want a garbage 'love' series that most certainly isn't for kids, then this is all you. Otherwise pass on this total waste of time. If you want an actual good love series then pick up Fruits Basket instead.