Customer Reviews (2)

Bebop novels don't disappoint
... but you may want to see the series first. I bought the manga before I owned the TV series, having heard all about Cowboy Bebop, but I'll warn you, it can get a little confusing if you're not already familiar with the characters. The first three books read like a typical episode of Cowboy Bebop, and they don't waste time on introductions and character development. If you've finished the series, these books are a good way to see your fave characters reunited again in more origianl and wacky plots to get cash. The manga is exquisitely drawn, and is presented in "100% Authentic Manga style" ((it reads right to left.))
One of the cutest stories is about Ed's past, when she meets an old firend under unusual circumstances.. but I won't spoil it for you!! *wink*
For die-hard Bebop fans, this is a must have. If you want an introduction to the series... well, it worked for me, it was just a little confusing at first. I think you'd enjoy it none the less...

Great collection of quality manga
I'm fairly new to reading manga, so I figured my first encounter would be with a series I'm familiar with from my anime collection. This series as an anime is great and the manga is just as wonderful. The first 3 books of this collection go around the crew of the Bebop as they take on the most dangerous and sometimes wacky bounties in the solar system. Plenty of action and comedy for all. The second 2 books, stardust memory, is basically what the anime series was loosely based on. Even if you have the anime, its worth reading this collection. Overall I give this set a great score not only because of its high quality writing and artwork, but also because this set has inspired me to keep increasing my manga collection. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)   2. Comics & Graphic Novels - Manga   3. Fiction - General   4. Graphic Novels - General   5. Juvenile Fiction   

Subjects:  1. Congresses   2. Diseases   3. Dust diseases   4. Industrial Health   5. Lungs   6. Medical   7. Medical / Nursing   8. Occupational diseases   9. Pulmonary & Thoracic Medicine   10. Respiratory Diseases   11. Respiratory organs   

Customer Reviews (6)

Great for self-learners
I agree with the positive reviews of the book here. I especially like Genki's extensive use of Kanji (with Furigana) to allow me to slowly become accustomed to them. The grammar is taught very well, although I recommend Japanese Step by Step as a better technique or way-of-thinking about verb conjugation. 'Step by Step' uses a flow chart to conjugate the different verbs - the best way I've seen to teach it yet!
The point I'd like to add about this book is that I think it starts a tad too fast for someone who's just decided to learn or is starting from nothing. If you haven't started Japanese classes at the same time you will need a Preliminary study period before beginning with Genki. I did this by accident, and it suited me fine. I bought "Japanese For Young People Bk I" (yes and I have 2 Bachelor level degrees!) and finished it before I started Genki. I also started night-classes for 2 hours a week for about 2 months. By the end of that time, I was almost proficient with Katakana and Hiragana and could flip through the first 2 chapters of Genki - saying "I already know that". Importantly, though, I was able to start using Genki's Kana-only (after chapter 2) format with relative ease. Had I not used a preliminary study period, it would have been very slow going and just too daunting with all that Kanji.
So, if you've mastered Hiragana/Katakana more or less, and have a few weeks of vocabulary and speech introduction, then Genki is the best book around - and I looked at all of them, believe me!
I also think it's the best serious or all-round book I've seen. That is to say, it really does teach you how to write, read and listen, without favouring any particular interest group. Incidentally, my native Japanese teacher recommended this book to me - she used it to give out homework (from the studybook).

The first Japanese book you should buy
My Japanese teacher used this book in our classes and it was an excellent choice. It can easily be used for self-study, especially if used with the CDs. Each lesson starts out with a dialog and is followed by a vocabulary list, grammar explanations, and vocabulary/grammar practice. The grammar is explained very clearly and the practice exercises are very useful for remembering what is being taught. One drawback: no answers are given. The vocabulary lists are not always comprehensive but they give lots of useful vocabulary. Several topics are covered including shopping, talking about family, travel, daily routines, and health. The book also includes lessons on Katakana, Hiragana, and Kanji.

I took the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (Level 4) after 5 months studying with this book and passed. The Kanji included was very useful as were the grammar points and vocabulary. If you can, I recommend getting the CDs and the workbook. The CDs are excellent. You can practice pronunciation with the dialogs and vocabulary lists and the CDs also include listening exercises for the text and workbook. The workbook covers more grammar and vocabulary as well as Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana practice.

This is the best Japanese textbook I've encountered. It is well organized and relevant. I give it 5 stars without hesitation!

Helpful, to the point and easy to use
My first-year Japanese college course uses Genki as its textbook, and it has proven to be a very helpful guide. I've had experience with Nakama, which was decent but a bit too disorganized with too much thrown around at once. The Jorden book, simply titled Japanese, is so dated that it is painful and contains no kana in the normal text of the book.

Genki gives the user the vocab they are likely to need, along with just enough kanji (which are tied to the vocab in the lesson). Everything is laid out simply yet concisely, and genki is by far the best book I've ever used. It is currently being used by the first year students at Indiana University.

What I love the most, other than its organization, is its use of kanji and kana. Virtually every word in Japanese in the book is in kana, with no romaji. Kanji (along with kana subscript) are used frequently. This has helped boost my reading speed greatly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language Study   2. Japanese   3. Language   4. Japanese language   

Customer Reviews (1)

Pottery as well as textiles -- beautiful and harmonious
This book is wonderfully photographed and written, focusing on the history of blue-and-white textiles and pottery of Japan. Just turning the pages gives a Zenlike feeling of rightness. Table settings, linens and furnishings don't have to match to give you a feeling of eating and living in calm and harmony ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture   2. Art & Art Instruction   3. Asian   4. Ceramics   5. Decoration & Ornament   6. Design - Textile & Costume   

Customer Reviews (2)

A great, translated anime art book!
The art of RahXephon, if anyone has seen the series, is obviously top notch. And it is distilled and published here. For anyone who loves the art in the series, this book is perfect. They display characters, colors, backgrounds and props with some description.

For those who couldn't make it through the less then adequate story and writing of the series, this book is ALL you need. I sat through the anime knowing I would treasure the book far after the DVDs had collected a thick layer of dust.

An interesting look into Rahxephon's World
Rahxephon, a series that is constantly being compared to Evangelion rather unfairly, boasts strong characters, wonderful artwork and an intriguing, if not easily grasped plot. Even by the penultimate volume the series plays its cards close to its chest, revealing little of the grand scheme of things until the end. This level of mystery is a hallmark of this style of science fiction, and while a lot of people find it fun, some will no doubt find it frustrating.

Enter, the Rahxephon Bible, a book any fan of the series should seriously consider buying. It serves two purposes, as a gallery for the series' wonderful art, and as a guide to several of the plot details. What is odd is that the plot guide (Or more accurately "Mysteries" guide) stops at the 15th episode. So those looking to find an overview of the entire series won't find it here, there are no views presented of the end. So perhaps that is a good thing for those who haven't seen the entire series but still want to get their hands on some Rahxephon merchandise, but as it has many spoilers up to and including episode 15, I would recommend it for people at least halfway through the series, as half the fun of the show is seeing the great plot twists develop.

This book reads from right to left like a Japanese book would and the entire volume is full color with illustrations on every page. The pages are glossy and thick, and the book is sturdy. The first few pages are full page illustrations, wonderful paintings that are very well printed. Then there is a graph of the many character interactions, and following that is a substantial informative essay on the world of Rahxephon, exploring the background of the world's various aspects and even offering up some scientific explorations. After that is an episode-by-episode guide to all the very minor clues littered through the series, offering insight on things like offhand comments or visual elements that have a deeper meaning. This section is very informative, even to someone like me who had viewed most of the episodes several times. Following that is a guide and picture gallery for each of the characters, with a short biography, another area where the art really shines. Then a guide to the technology of the series, like the mechas, and finally a lot of interesting information on the talent behind the series.

Overall, this book is a great complement to the series, and while it may not cover absolutely everything a die-hard fan would want, it more than satisfies. Well worth it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - General   2. Film & Video - General   3. Graphic Novels - General   4. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins   5. Performing Arts   6. Fiction, Graphic Novels, General   

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent resource for parents -- and more
I actually read this book before one of Homma Sensei's others (Aikido for Life), but I felt it was helpful to me as an adult student of aikido as well as a parent of a [maybe-] future-aikido child.

In the first half of the book Homma Sensei gives a very detailed and convincing account of how he came to the martial arts (and aikido in particular), and how this has shaped his practice as a teacher. He gives many easily-recognizable examples of conversations he's had with parents who want to enroll their kids in his classes. These would be comical if not true, but they serve to illustrate many of the wrong reasons parents want kids to participate in martial arts.

In the second half, he gives examples of many of the exercises children in his aikido classes perform, accompanied by black-and-white line drawings. These would be very helpful for parents with a child in aikido (as a way to understand what the children are doing, and to help them practice at home), but certainly can *not* substitute for the expert guidance of a certified instructor.

Interestingly, even though I bought this book [ostensibly] for the day my son might show an interest in coming to the dojo with me, it was very useful for my own aikido training. Homma Sensei stresses personal responsibility, as well as the "right" reasons for studying aikido, and I found this refreshing as a beginner myself. [It was also useful, in reading another of his books (Aikido for Life), as he gives a rather detailed account of his own study of aikido in this one -- which helps one understand why he feels the way he does about certain aspects of training.]

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aikido   2. Martial Arts   3. Martial Arts & Self-Defense   4. Martial Arts - Aikido   5. Martial arts for children   6. Self-defense for children   7. Sports   8. Sports & Recreation   

Customer Reviews (3)

This should actually be 3.5 stars...
I enjoyed this book but I still have a few complaints...
There were only 2 stories within, but they were both kinda long so I guess that's OK. But my real complaint is that if this is the '3rd and last' book of Cowboy Bebop, then why doesnt it have a proper ending? That kinda annoys me...oh well.
Now on to the good points. Although the second story 'Fight for your RIght' didnt interest me that much, the first, 'What's your number', was so beautiful it touched me in a way I never felt again until reading book 4 of Chobits when Manager Ueda tells his story about his persocom.
This sweet little story is about Ed being reunited with 'Tomato', (and you thought that was just her COMPUTER'S name, huh?) and all the trouble they go through to outsmart a government conspiracy to block the earth from the net using a virus that they created themselves 3 years ago.
I just wish that happened in the anime...

The third and last Cowboy Bebop manga
Cowboy Bebop has been no doubt one of the biggest anime titles ever, and it still is. And the graphic novels by Tokyopop, are no exception. Despite the fact that some people are a little disappointed in these Bebop novels, I actually think all three of them are pretty awesome. They added some traditional anime humor in these novels, including extreme adult content. Basically something you don't normally see in the original anime series. But anyway, on with the review on Volume 3 !

This is the third and the last of the Bebop manga (I already know about Cain Kuga's two volumed "Shooting Stars") by Yutaka Nanten. I love reading this one the most for some odd reason, but sadly it includes 2 stories. I was really expecting four or five chapters like on the first two volumes. Instead there are only two long chapters. But at least both chapters proved to be impressive, nonetheless. The art on each page is beautifully drawn (even if they don't look too identical to their anime counterparts) and the storylines on each chapter are pretty amazing. Normally I would tell you guys about the stories, but when it comes to reviewing books, I can't spoil any surprises, so you're on your own.

So in the end, Volume 3 is a good book to pick up and read over and over again, but it would've been nice if they had more chapters in it. That way it would last longer. But it was a good thing that each chapter is long. Anyway, starting your collection on the Cowboy Bebop graphic novels is not hard. Three volumes on the first novels by Yutaka Nanten and two volumes on Cain Kuga's "Shooting Stars". If you want a manga that would keep you entertained for hours, look no further than the Cowboy Bebop graphic novels.

The best book out of the 3
I got this book with the other two (on the same day) and read them in order. This is the third and last book out of the series (not including Shooting Star) and my favorite one. Instead of several short stories, this consists of 2 really long ones. You get a feel for the story more because they're longer. The first story is What's Your Number and the main character's Ed! She has a big bounty on her head by the Earth's government for being part of a terrorist hacking group, and the crew of the Bebop don't know where she is! This one was fun to read because you learn more about Ed's past and meet an old 'friend' of hers (who happens to have a crush on her!) The real jem of this book is the second story, Fight For Your Right. It starts when a man hires a trucker to take him to Venus. He tells the trucker to go in the middle of nowhere, but it happens to be a secret hyperspace gate! The man forgets something on the ship and thinks that the trucker stole it. Later, Spike hires the same trucker to take him to Mars to turn in a bounty. Spike finds the thing that the man lost in the trucker's ship, and is confronted with him in the secret hyperspace gate. The man fires at him, but he's still on the trucker's ship with no weapons! I loved this story from start to finish. It reminded me of an episode of Bebop, and made me with they thought of it sooner so it could have been! There was plenty of action and suspense to please any Bebop fan. If you're going to get one Cowboy Bebop book, get this one. It's rated 13+ for violence, language, and brief nudity. See you space cowboy... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)   3. Comics & Graphic Novels - General   4. Fiction - General   5. General   6. Juvenile Fiction   7. Special Interest - Adventure   

Customer Reviews (4)

AN INSULT TO BEBOP
This second volume of the 1st Bebop manga series suffers from the same, if not worse, problems than book 1. This time around we have 5 bad stories instead of 4. "She's a Rainbow" is about a news reporter dying to get her first big break by following a group of bounty hunters around. Unfortunately, our Bebop crew is lucky when they have someone to hunt down to take them away from their empty stomachs and constant bickering with one another. Not exactly newsworthy. "Great Deceiver" is about Faye having to track down an old friend. The totally useless "Special Short" is about Jet catching a cold. Wow. "Thinking Bird Happy Song" involves Ed's interference with a hitman and a duel between old men's songbirds. "Like a Rolling Stone" showcases Spike as he enlists the aid of a cafe singer to find a bounty.

What can I say, these stories were awful. Even the titles were a pale imitation of the anime. The whole book felt lifeless. They weren't funny or entertaining in the least. It's a real shame that this series exists. It's almost an insult to the creators of the show. These characters have so much appeal and had room for development. I'm not even going to bother reading the 3rd and last volume. I recommend you read the two volumes of the Shooting Star series which tells the story of the Bebop crew from a slightly what-if like perspective.

aswome
This is the 2nd volume of the cowboy bebop manga series.this one has 5 stoies and very funny as well this one has all the main characters including ed and ine.its asome and i recomend it to all of you. it may be hard reading it right to left and if you seen cowboy bebop youll love this. see ya cow boy

Bang...
the book delivers the exact thing the show does. Its great. Although the plot lines arent great in the book if you love the bebop than youl love thews stories ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)   3. Comics & Graphic Novels - General   4. Fiction - General   5. Juvenile Fiction   6. Science Fiction - General   7. Special Interest - Adventure   

Customer Reviews (5)

Great Manga
First of all I dont see why everyone is complaing about how the manga leaves out a lot from the show-when actually its the show that added things.This manga did not come to be by the film to paper method,but rather the series came to be by paper to film. This said I feel the only real downfalls of the book are the sounds as stated previously, and the fact that you have to know quite a bit about gundam wing are you might not understand much. Great art and dialoge. Deffinatly a four out of five

Getting better...
When I reviewed the first volume of this series, I reviewed it like a review and not an opinion. I'll try to do so again with this second review.

If one's bought the second volume in this manga series, then he most likely either loves it to death or hates it and wants to see if it has any hope lingering somewhere. For the most part, however, it's probably someone who is used to the obvious fast pacing of the story and questionable editing of material from the anime series. The fast pacing returns in this second volume, and if you loved the first volume you'll definately be used to the second one.

A few questionable cons of the first volume make it to the second volume, such as the sound effects ("Dash", "Step") and distorted characters. However, for me, I feel this volume managed to eliminate -- for the most part, at least -- weak dialogue and the sense that the artists were trying to rush the series. When one reads through the entire second volume, he instead considers the possibility that this migt be the artists' own take on the anime, like Tim Burton's remake of "Planet of the Apes." But one can only consider this possiblilty if he actually enjoyed the first volume.

Another thing I noticed is that characterization was a little more noticable than in the first volume. This is probably due to the fact that the pilots appeared more than they did in the first volume.

All in all, the second volume is probably better than the first, mainly because it managed to establish the pace and sense of purpose the manga series is trying to create. And, as before for me, the Domon comics at the end of the volume were just as hilarious. By now, I can safely say that they are like a satire of the anime (not the manga, for some scenes satired in the Domon strips aren't in the manga) and they satirize probably some of the things that are living trademarks of "Gundam Wing."

In the end, the second volume redeems any lingering doubts the first volume might've created. However, since the manga didn't stay true to the anime, I can't give it the highest rating of five stars. Again, I recommend this series to fans of the anime who don't mind leaving out the series' complex storyline.

PS -- For those who have bought "The Art of Gundam Wing", look out for the artwork at the back of this volume.

Gundam Wing RD (Reader's Digest)
First off, this 3-part manga series is very different than the anime. Lots of stuff was cut out, some stuff was changed around, and some new stuff was added altogether. Call it "Gundam Wing Lite", if you will. The artwork is pretty good, the parody comics in the back were kind of funny, and Duo's suggestion on how to get Trowa's memories back made me burst out loud laughing (maybe because it was perfectly in character) but I cannot recommend this series. The artwork saves these books from being rated 2-stars. If you want the full experience, check out the series on DVD, then the Endless Waltz movie and the Ground Zero, Blind Target, and Episode Zero comics. But it's safe to skip these books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Children: Grades 4-6   3. Comics & Graphic Novels - Manga   4. Fiction - Science Fiction   5. Graphic Novels - Science Fiction   6. Juvenile Fiction   7. Movie Tie - In   8. Science Fiction - General   

Customer Reviews (1)

very helpfull book
This book is of great help to my work on a graduate project, where I'm trying to numerically evaluate pressure drop in a gas as result of its interaction with water jet. The FORTRAN code provided with the book (you will have to type it in, or request a copy of the source code from the authors) was exactly what I needed to make a progress in my calculations ( I had to modify it a bit to adjust for my problem). The book is clearly written and provides a good presentation of "key" topics in the study of gas-particle & gas-droplet flows. Finally, take a look at the Table of Contents - it usually gives the best idea wether you should or shouldn't buy the book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drops   2. Engineering - Chemical & Biochemical   3. Engineering - Mechanical   4. Engineering Fluid Mechanics   5. Material Science   6. Multiphase flow   7. Particles   8. Science/Mathematics   9. Technology   10. Technology & Industrial Arts   

Subjects:  1. Automotive   2. Automotive - General   3. Transportation   

Customer Reviews (3)

aikido sketch diary:gojo 365
As a grand master of the fine combat art , i find i am most displeased with this farce of a book. For all grand masters know to learn this noble art one must first start sucking fruit pastels without chewing. once this is done then real traing can begin. Also this book does not document the effect if aikido on one sex life , to say that akido effect ones privates like 12 beers after the pub would not be a lie.

A sideways approach to looking at life in the aikido dojo.
Of Gaku Homma's books that I have read so far, this is one of the best. The whole approach to life and the community that is fostered in many aikido dojos is reflected in practical terms. Homma's continued perception that North Americans are unclear about Japanese traditions and his sometimes negative attitudes about fundamental human behaviour patterns is somehow frustrating for me. Still the book comes together as a series of short stories about his and his dojo's experiences while living and studying in Colorado in a way that is humourous and enlightening. What comes through is the success that can be found in community effort and positive purpose. The illustrations are more professional looking than some of his previous works, and reflected the subject matter very nicely. This book could be read by the aikido practioner or non-aikido practioner for ideas on how to live in a society responsibly.

An informative approach to building aiki spirite in a dojo
I found Aikido Sketch Diary to have many practical ideas in how to contribute in the transformation of spirite. As over a twenty year veteran of Aikido it was great to read of a dojo that is trying to intergrate the best of both Japanese and American culture. I have never worked with Sensi Homma or seen him but after reading his book I was impressed by what is in his heart and only hope to have the chance to practice with. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aikido   2. Case studies   3. Dojo school   4. DÃ¥ojÃ¥o school   5. General   6. Japan   7. Martial Arts   8. Martial Arts & Self-Defense   9. Martial Arts - Aikido   10. New Age / Parapsychology   11. Popular culture   12. Sports   13. Sports & Recreation   14. Training   15. United States   16. Zen influences   

Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General   2. Children's All Ages - Fiction - General   3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)   4. Comics & Graphic Novels - General   5. Juvenile Fiction   6. Juvenile Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels   

Subjects:  1. 1989-   2. Foreign relations   3. Government - Comparative   4. Government - International   5. International Relations - Diplomacy   6. Japan   7. Political Ideologies - Communism & Socialism   8. Political Science   9. Politics - Current Events   10. Politics/International Relations   

Subjects:  1. Apologetics   2. Asian And Oriental Religions   3. General   4. New Age / Parapsychology   5. Philosophy   6. Reincarnation   

Customer Reviews (17)

Sorry to be Such a Downer...
Don't get me wrong folks, I am an avid Bebop fan, but I was a little disappointed in the first gaphic novel. After watching the television series and buying three soundtracks (all of which were amazing), I expected to be completely blown away by the comic books.
Unfortunately, the plots for the most part are pretty weak and do not really hold the reader's attention. I also noticed the character designs in the manga have changed, especially for Spike and Faye (not really for the better in my opinion). In addition, the story "We Will Rock You" is probably the only one in the book that remotely lives up to the name Bebop.
I would only recommend this graphic novel for die -hard fans who aren't likely to let it ruin their impression of Cowboy Bebop. Otherwise, you are better off spending your money on the second book of the manga series.

Hardly a substitute for the anime, but still a great read.
"Cowboy Bebop" has been dubbed one of the greatest anime series ever, and rightfully so. Its plots are original and action-packed, its dub has been called one of the best ever done, and its characters are some of the most beloved characters in the anime community. So it's no surprise that TOKYOPOP decided to bring the "Cowboy Bebop" manga to the States. Using TOKYOPOP's new "100% Authentic Manga" format, the manga is a set of stories told within the universe of "Cowboy Bebop" before the final set of episodes. Sadly, the manga is nothing compared to the anime masterpiece; even so, fans of the series and fans of manga in general owe it to themselves to give this manga a look at least.

The anime series follows an episode-like format for the most of its 26-episode run (meaning episodes don't have overlapping storylines), and the manga is no different. The first volume of the "Cowboy Bebop" manga presents four different stories that deal with the characters of the "Bebop", following their adventures and misadventures as they try to nab bounties so they can collect the reward money and get food in their stomachs. Almost any "Cowboy Bebop" fan will praise the anime series as having highly original stories and adventures that define the series. Unfortunately, that same fan will most likely look at the stories in the manga and say they are formulaic. Also, the stories has odd pacing issues in several areas, making the volume feel a little unbalanced. Even so, the stories are quite entertaining and do capture some of the charm of the anime. But anyone hoping the manga will hold over as a substitute for the anime until the "Cowboy Bebop" movie arrives on American shores will be sorely disappointed.

Visually, some fans might be put off by the artist's interpretation of the characters. Characters in the manga do resemble their anime counterparts, but sometimes they can look a tad-bit distorted. And seeing Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, and Ein in chibi-like forms can be a little awkward, considering this rarely happened in the anime. Still, the visual artwork of the manga isn't anything to be disgusted at, but fans of the anime will wants to approach this with caution.

In terms of translation, I can honestly say that TOKYOPOP is getting better. Previous efforts such as "Cardcaptor Sakura" and "Gundam Wing" used text that was most likely typed in a machine, resulting in several horrible typos, and TOKYOPOP has always been known to deliver mediocre translations. With "Cowboy Bebop", the text appears to be drawn and not typed, resulting in fewer typos; I couldn't find any at all in this volume. While the translation might be questionable to some people, it doesn't sound static and flat; I actually consider this one of TOKYOPOP's better efforts. And with TOKYOPOP's new "100% Authentic Format", the volume is read right-to-left, giving it a more authentic feel. It also makes the artwork clearer to see; since it hasn't been photo-reversed, the artwork isn't blurred, dimmed, or distorted.

All in all, "Cowboy Bebop" is a good manga series, but only for the right kind of person. Fans of the anime will want to be careful with this series, and manga readers unfamiliar with the anime should also be wary. Still, the manga is very entertaining and is good enough to hold the "Cowboy Bebop" name. And thanks to TOKYOPOP's better-than-normal translation and their "100% Authentic Manga" format, the manga can be enjoyed even further.

Until volume 2, "SEE YOU, SPACE COWBOY..."

Shadow of a Series
Perhaps it is from the high expectations roused by the fantastic "Cowboy Bebop" television series that leads this Manga to be somewhat of a disappointment.

Drawn in classic Manga style, there really is little to fault about the artwork. Leaving much to be desired, however, are the speech balloons, which rarely explicitly show who's saying what, leaving the reader to guess the speaker from the context of what's being said. Plotwise, these stories have as much potential as a typical episode of the television series, but fall short of achieving their rich fullness due to ambiguous leaps in action from panel to panel. Even after re-reading a section of the graphic novel, there are places that just don't seem to make sense, and that ring of faulty placement and/or translation from the original Japanese.

The trademark dark humour, on the other hand, is markedly present. Even if the four stories contained herein aren't exactly true-to-life or entirely comprehensible, the fun of reading along isn't entirely diminished. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)   3. Comics & Graphic Novels - General   4. Fiction - General   5. General   6. Juvenile Fiction   7. Special Interest - Adventure   8. Adventure / thriller   9. Fantasy   10. Graphic novels   11. Science fiction   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business/Economics   3. Foreign trade and employment   4. International - Economics   5. International - General   6. International Relations - General   7. International trade   8. Labor   9. Labor market   10. Politics - Current Events   11. Unemployment   12. Wages   

Customer Reviews (1)

I was the pilot of a suicide submarine and lived to tell
Fascinating read. This is the war diary of a suicide submarine (Kaiten) in World war two. The Kaiten was a submarine Kamiaze weapon. Essentially a torpedo with cockpit. The operator would ride the torpedo right into the side of the victim ship. While the book is a narrative of training, it is also an insight into the mind of race of people who had no problem getting volunteers to sacrifice their life for their country. I also recommend Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner for the war diary of a German submariner ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Non-Classifiable   2. Nonfiction - General   

Subjects:  1. Internal security   2. Japan   3. Police   4. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur   5. Political Science   6. Politics/International Relations   7. Terrorism   

Subjects:  1. Cizhou ware   2. Exhibition Catalogs   3. Exhibitions   4. Ming-Qing dynasties, 1368-1912   5. Pottery, Chinese   6. Song-Yuan dynasties, 960-1368