Manga review, wow, has it been that long since my last?

I liked watching Naruto and Dragonball (and will read them next on my list). I liked reading One Piece and Bleach. But so far, besides Ranma 1/2 (and yes, Takahashi is a genius) and Slam Dunk, I would have to say my fave manga is GinTama. It is sometimes crude and Soraichi sometimes goes too far (especially as the series progresses) but it is very funny and quick and the fights are not too long, unlike some manga I have mentioned already. He is so tongue-in-cheek amusing and his shout-outs are ones that even I usually understand. I admire his style. I don't know where anyone got off reviewing his art and saying it wasn't good enough. Nonsense, he is up there with the big guys, or he'd better be! I have read a lot of manga. Not as much as some people, but most likely more than the majority of Westerners at least.

He is a classic, in my opinion because he has everything a good manga-ka should have. A sense of humor and usage of many puns, and usage of (loosely) historically-based characters, a cute animal, cute girls, tough guys, ugly guys, spaceships, pirates, bishounen, samurai, also good background art detail, great one-liners, sentiment, plenty of blood sweat and tears, and also, he often makes sly references to typical manga character types or scenarios, so genre-savvy. Good fight scenes, he usually ties up loose ends, plenty of villains, including a big bad (or two) and a soft-hearted anti-hero (or three). He got an anime and a movie. And CDs? I wish I could get some figurines of some of these guys. I love Katsura... and Shinpachi, and Yamazaki etc.

One complaint, besides too much toilet humor. In the anime, Hijikata becomes more buffoonish by the second. He's this amazing badass in the manga, but in the anime, they messed it up somehow and he seems like a twit. Other than that, it is great so far. I've nearly finished what there is of the manga, and should start reading Dragonball soon.

Soraichi is a fan of DB I think and he reminded me of how much I liked it. I even clocked a couple of the DB RPGS. So fun. I liked playing as Vegeta in the second game. I liked Vegeta from the moment I first saw him. Imagine my delight to discover he would become a main character, and also not be the villain all the time. But the truth is, Vegeta is meant to be bad, his personality cries out for it. Most bad guys who do a heel face turn, I am pleased, and don't mind if they become nicer, but Vegeta is one of the bad guys who should stay bad, or at least bad-ish.

Enough about him! (sigh) So many guys who aren't real, who are so amazing.

I met a guy somewhat like Vegeta in his personality (but who was almost entirely was his opposite in appearance) and although I was interested when he asked me out, I soon realised that we were not suited. My temperament is hard to match. I need a guy who is not so irascible and also not a pushover. I need someone who is in the middle. But it is hard to find a guy like that. Personality is important, for a match. I learned this very quickly.

But back to GinTama... I don't recommend it for kids, despite what Soraichi might say... but teens and up is fine. There is not real sex, only references, and it is mostly toilet humor as I mentioned. But there is violence and blood and some references and a lot of pixelation... of everything gross that you could think of.

Right so out of 5, I give it *** stars, because it is kinda gross at times and also some of the puns or references are too Japanese to be easily translated. But hey. I do like it a lot though. I prefer ti to Belach because Bleach has too many characters and it is too dark in parts. And my gosh the fights can be so dull, and the characters seem to keep needing to get stronger and stronger. Dude, of course Ichigo will win, it's his manga... just get on with it please. Btw Bleach is not that funny compared to most other manga, so why name the guy Ichigo. I think ti was meant to start out amusing and more light, but it got dark pretty quick. Also, he has so many characters he tends to leave a lot of them out for a long time each, and well, it is not a Bleach bashing session, now is it?

I do like Bleach. I like most of the captains and Ichigo's family and friends and some of the vizards and the arrancar or whatever they are. Some of them I hate but hey you are meant to.

P.S. I knew Aizen would turn bad, because immediately he reminded me of Sakurazuka Seiishiro from Tokyo Babylon. Same character type, even the glasses and the alternate dog petting/kicking moments. If you don't get what I mean, never mind.

CLAMP is awesome (but I am sure there are characters they have borrowed from heavily who came from mangaka before them).

Loved XXXholic. Downer ending, but it is CLAMP. They specialise in difficult endings.