Forum - View topicRednal's Reviews: Sumomomo Momomo Volume 1 by Shinobu Ohtaka
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Rednal
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The following review is not sponsored or endorsed by ANN, and does not necessarily reflect the views of ANN and/or any members of its staff.
Sumomomo Momomo Volume 1 Mangaka: Shinobu Ohtaka US Publisher: Yen Press ISBN: 978-0-7595-3004-1 Price: $10.99 (US) Overview: Sumomomo Momomo seems to be part of a trend; series with the same syllable repeated many times are quite quirky. Nevertheless, the martial arts mayhem of this series is good fun. Characters: These are probably the strongest point of the series. Sumomomo Momomo revolves primarily around two characters: Koushi Inuzuka, a down-to-earth student interested in becoming a prosocuting attorney, and Momoko Kuzuryuu, the strongest bride on earth. Like it says on the cover. Koushi is unusual for a male lead, primarily because he is a weakling. He likes to talk about how wrongdoers will not get away with things, but most people react to his preaching by beating him up. Despite being the heir to one of the most prominent martial arts families in Japan, he gave up training a long time ago. He is a wuss, and he knows this. He is actually worried about being swept up into the insanity that's going on. And it's fun watching him reject his bride-to-be. Momoko, on the other hand, is a straight-to-the-point sort of girl with outrageous skill, but due to being female, will never be able to fully master her family's techniques. Like she needs to be any stronger. The solution, as her father explains, is to attempt to have Koushi's babies to create the strongest children on the planet. And she tries. This is very fun to watch. Of the other characters who show up, the Tiger fighter is actually an interesting opponent, the Class Rep is a friendly face (and a lifeline for Koushi), and the Gym Teacher is actually funny to watch. Rating: A-. They aren't always perfect, but I wouldn't classify any of them as real cookie-cutter types. There's a lot to like. Art: I noticed while reading that different parts of the book had different levels of detail done; martial arts scenes, such as Momoko using her dragon techniques, are given a fairly high amount of detail pretty much all of the time. In contrast, the more normal scenes are calmer, relaxed, and without ultra-fine details on complex objects. I actually think this works fairly well with the main character's personality; the martial arts world is so over the top that it's even drawn better, and all he wants is to relax away from all of that and continue on with his studies. Whatever the level of fine detail, the art itself is clean, with only the occasional panty-shot. Rating: B. The amount of detail does vary, but I've seen much worse. Story: Sumomomo Momomo strongly features a martial arts war between the twelve most prominent tribes. Rather that being a free-for-all, it's split up into two sides with six families; Koushi and Momoko are the heirs to the head tribes on each side, as their fathers want to end the in-fighting and such. Not everybody, however, wants to see that happen. Hence, assassins start coming after Koushi, and for the most part, he tricks Momoko into helping him. However, it is nice to see his intellect actually help him in the fight against one of the Assassins, proving that he can, with sufficient encouragement, somehow still be worth something. It's a good tale, balanced fairly even between serious and entertaining, and it doesn't exactly feel stale, either. Rating: B+. Not the greatest thing ever, but pretty darn good. Final Word: Sumomomo Momomo is an over-the-top martial arts comedy, and what it sets out to do, it does well. I don't know that I'd introduce someone to manga with it (there's quite a few jokes only older fans will get; for example, how brutally Koushi twists the Sudden Girlfriend Appearance around), but any fan who's been reading for awhile and likes good stories should find this book to be a treat. Definitely a borrow, if not a buy. Final Rating: A-. |
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