Ornate with hip-hop trappings and packed with gangland grit, Tokyo Tribes paints a vivid, somewhat surreal vision of urban youth. Rival gangs from various Tokyo barrios press each other for turf, leaving many a foot soldier bereft of life in the violent clashes. When the heat between two of the clans waxes personal, a bitter rivalry explodes into all out warfare. Manga-ka Santa Inoue's hard-hitting yet fantastical tale of Tokyo street gangs battling it out in the concrete sprawl of Japan's capital raises the bar for manga storytelling, transcending genres and conventions, and East-West competition.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A sensation in Japan when it was originally published in the late 1990s, Inoue's much anticipated manga about hip-hop–influenced Japanese gangbangers provides a fascinating look at the impact of black urban style on Japanese youth culture. While the book's plot is a bit shopworn (two high school buddies go their separate ways and end up in rival gangs), Inoue's wonderful drawings of Tokyo, thoughtful characterizations and obvious love of hip-hop style and hip-hop music lift this book well above the ordinary. In the story, Tokyo's districts are ruled by different gangs. Two members of the Sura gang (from Musashinokuni) are brutally murdered when they venture into Bukuro, territory run by a psychotic gang leader named Mero, who's the estranged buddy of Kai, a prominent member of the Sura gang. Kai suspects Mero is the killer and, along with two comical Sura gang buddies, makes a trip into Bukuro seeking vengeance. They find a beautiful hooker who was the last person to see the two dead men—but she disappears into a sex club after whispering "Help me" to Kai, setting the stage for violent events to come. The dialogue is excellent and Inoue's characters speak with the lively rhythm and profane humor of black urban street patois. His b&w drawings depart from standard manga style, offering an expressive naturalism while retaining manga's distinctive ability to depict dynamic action sequences. There's also a very funny addendum on the making of the manga.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From the Publisher
Tokyo Tribes was featured in Japan's hip, skateborder fashion magazine Boon.
Created by Santa Inoue, famous for his hyper-real urban action dramas such as Tamashii Rettsusha, Born to Die, Neighborhood 13 and the original gangland epic Tokyo Tribe.
Created by Santa Inoue, famous for his hyper-real urban action dramas such as Tamashii Rettsusha, Born to Die, Neighborhood 13 and the original gangland epic Tokyo Tribe.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Baddest hip-hop manga ever finally drops in USA. Cop it now!,
By Beardyjin "beardyjin" (New Orleans) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tokyo Tribes, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
Tokyo Tribes author Santa Inoue is a cult celebrity in Japan and his Tokyo Tribe characters have been printed on skateboards and made into toys. This first volume FINALLY gets translated and released in America six years after it was originally published in Japan back in 1998. This prolonged period between its Japanese and American debuts leaves some in jokes falling flat and can have readers wondering why characters are playing the "new" Nintendo 64 instead of an Xbox, but minor details like that don't diminsh the entertainment value of Tribes at all.
Santa Inoue uses Tokyo's vibrant hip-hop scene as a backdrop to weave a comedic tale of drama, love, murder and betrayal through a story of young gangs (or "tribes") and their turf wars over the various areas of Tokyo. These tribe members represent their areas with all the passion and intensity that their American counterparts "rep" the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Harlem back in New York. However, bravado turns into all-out war once former friends become the heads of two seperate tribes. Inoue manages to really capture the Tokyo hip-hop scene, but still keeps it somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Anyone who has been to Tokyo knows the hip-hoppers there do look like they walked off the set of a rap video and do have afros and do say things like "wassup, playa" in heavily accented English.It's true that many hip-hoppers in Tokyo tend to take themselves too seriously, Inoue manages to give these wannabe gangstas heart while also poking some fun at them. If you're into hip-hop culture or just want a keen and entertaining peek into the Tokyo hip-hop scene then pick up TOKYO TRIBES now.
0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tokyo Tribes is DOPE!,
By Tyler Durden "DURk DIGLER" (ATL,USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tokyo Tribes, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
Tokyo Tribes is nuthin' but dope comix!
If you don't know,you better try this world! Raw like SUSHI! Classic!
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