Toto!: The Wonderful Adventure, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Yuko Osada (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2008

SEE THE WORLD WITH ME!

Kakashi is a small-town boy with a big dream: to travel around the world. He’s so determined to leave his little island home behind that he stows away onboard a marvelous zeppelin–one that just happens to be loaded with treasure and a gang of ruthless criminals!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–Some manga books have mostly dreamlike narratives and attempt only slightly to follow conventional who, what, and where plot guidelines. This book is one such title. It tells the story of a gigantic Hindenburg-like airship that is hijacked by a secretive group called the Man Chicken Family. Half of the story takes place in the air, the other half after the airship crashes in what looks like the American Midwest. Dorothy and Toto enter the story, with supernatural developments quickly following. The black-and-white artwork is on the ultraspare end of the manga-style spectrum. Each panel has little background, shading, or facial features. There are also frequent meta asides explaining Japanese customs to American readers, or commenting on the action as it occurs. Too much is lost in translation here and while the original may be a hit overseas, this title will only be a niche interest for purists.–John Leighton, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (May 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345501470
• ISBN-13: 978-0345501479
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.7 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,175,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute steampunk shounen, July 7, 2008

By 

Zan-chan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toto!: The Wonderful Adventure, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

This is certainly not a faithful adaptation of the Frank Baum novels. Rather, it is a shounen adventure featuring the typical over-eager young boy, a violent but cute girl and a little dog with a big secret that just happens to have wizard of Oz references sprinkled throughout. If you enjoy a good adventure story then you should definitely pick this up; it is suitable for children but it's a fun ride for adults, too, particularly if the adult is fond of airships, goggles and kindly thugs.

4.0 out of 5 stars Toto-a-Gogo!, November 20, 2010

By 

J. Alford (Atlanta, GA. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toto!: The Wonderful Adventure, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

Another manga inspired by Oz to be brought over to the States was Toto! The Wonderful Adventure by Yu-Ko Osada. This came out in Japan in 2005 and ran for five volumes, although it was apparently the remake of a series Osada did back in 2002 simply titled Toto which ran for two volumes. There was a spinoff of somekind called Tribal 12 which followed for three volumes, although what its connection it is to this one is unknown other than it maybe takes place in the same fictional universe.

The story takes place in a standard shonen-styled manga story similar to ones like Rave Master and Fullmetal Alchemist where technology and magic are integrated together. Kakashi(which is Japanese for "scarecrow")is a rebellous youth who wishes to see the world that his deceased father told him about, so he stowsaway on a public blimp. This turns out bad as it gets hijacked by the Man Chicken Family, a group of bandits who look like their straight out of the Turks from Final Fantasy VII. Kakashi discovers a stray puppy on board with wearing a strange collar, and takes him in as his own friend. He is found out by the Man Chicken Family and their leader Teqilla who forces Kakashi to be their lackey on the blimp while they fly it to their hideout. The blimp gets attacked by the military, and Tequilla sacrifices the last parachute to Kakashi as he escapes with the puppy. They wake up battered in a field, and are very hungry. Luckily, they find a seemingly abandoned picnic basket which they immediatley empty, but are found out by its owner, a young girl named Dorothy. She first thinks that just the puppy ate her food, but takes a liking to him, and names him Toto. Kakashi pops up from behind a cornstalk, and gets into an argument with Dorothy who first confuses him for a scarecrow. However, the military shows up, and it turns out they're after Toto's collar. Kakashi, Dorothy, and Toto make off on a stolen motorcycle towards the city of Emerald where Dorothy's family lives. On the way, they stop at a farmhouse and are taken in by what seems like a kindly old man, but he's really the sinister Lt. Vio in disguise. He leaves Kakashi and Dorothy inside while the place is burns down, but Toto's collar transforms him into a giant creature due to the collar's magical powers.

I've liked how this series seems to be going so far, although some of the danger presented in this "Rated T" manga is very real with the heroes facing imminent death at every corner. This manga is one of several Oz titles that crosses over with Alice In Wonderland with characters from that book showing up in this storyline. I find Yuko Osada's art style, and look forward to it progress in the future volumes.

5.0 out of 5 stars This isn't your parents Oz!, June 1, 2008

By 

Tim Lasiuta "Comic Fan 42" (Red Deer, Alberta) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toto!: The Wonderful Adventure, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

Yuko Osada has created a remarkable story/adaptation of the Wizard of Oz for the manga market. The young Kakashi leaves his home town and flies through the air in a zeppelin. His search for adventure introduces him to a dog he names Toto, and the captain of the skyjackers who just might be his father.

"The world is vast...you don't need a reason. So, my boy, go on an adventure!"

And this is just the beginning.

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