Midweek Manga Reviews: It’s Friday!

Dr. Slump vol. 15
Story & Art: Akira Toriyama
Translation: Alexander O. Smith
Publisher: Viz

I always wondered if his editors at the time had made Toriyama keep going with this series if it would have turned into something like Dragon Ball Z. I can see it now: Dr Slump Zeta!!! It’s a good thing that his editors weren’t that pushy back then. There is a new kid in the Norimaki household and his name is Turbo! If you were expecting a normal baby without powers, well you are reading the wrong manga! After being ran over by a spaceship and brought back to life Turbo develops telekinetic powers and that makes changing diapers and feeding all the more fun for the parents. Out of all the volumes of Dr. Slump I have read this one for some reason reminded me about the good ole X-men days, when they were more of a family and had baseball games. Kind of weird comparing the two comics together. Dr. Slump is a timeless classic, and it is Akira Toriyama’s original big hit. Fans of the comedy found in his original Dragonball series, before the Z will absolutely love the slapstick presented in Dr. Slump. Even in the original Dragonball manga, they paid a visit to Penguin village where the Norimaki kids make a cameo. Dr. Slump is basically a funny book with slapstick, sexual, and cartoon humor. The book is never taken seriously, but don’t we already have enough serious comics out there? Take my word for it; you’ll love this book! If you enjoy a good laugh, don’t hesitate to check this out and you might get addicted like the rest of us. A

Guardian Hearts Vol. 1
Story & Art: Sae Amatsu
Translation: Monica Seya Chin
Adaptation: Erin M. Blakemore
Publisher: Tokyopop

At first glance at the cover, I could have sworn I have played a fighting game with these characters in it. Hina a Guardian Heart from the Planet of Light accidently shows her true identity one day to a boy named Kazuya. Actually it’s Kasuya’s own luck that has everyone revealing their identity to him moments after meeting him. For some reason this forces all these girls to live with him and his mother. I’m still not sure if this is supposed to be an accident or intentional. By the end of the 7th chapter there are five girls living in his house and for some reason keeping their abilities a secret from each other. Kazuya is a dull character, who never takes advantage of the harem situation in his house. Sure we’ve seen this story countless of times, but for once I would like the lead male character to do something besides shy away from all the girls who want him. You figured with five female characters they would all be a little different, but in the end they are all basically the same; insane, clumsy, and stupid. That is not even my main quibble with the manga; what really bothers me is the amount of fan service I got in this manga. Good Lord I never thought I would complain about something like that. The only things I enjoyed about this manga was the cat, the clean artwork, and some of the humor in the story, but unfortunately the amount of fan service, lack of plot, and hyper-rushed chapters really took all the enjoyment out of it for me. D+