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20th Century Boys #20
20th Century Boys, Tome 20
Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for audiences T+.
Humanity, having faced extinction at the end of the 20th century, would not have entered the new millennium if it weren't for them. In 1969, during their youth, they created a symbol. In 1997, as the coming disaster slowly starts to unfold, that symbol returns. This is the story of a group of boys who try to save the world.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2005
About the author
Naoki Urasawa
340 books2,449 followersUrasawa Naoki (浦沢直樹) is a Japanese mangaka. He is perhaps best known for Monster (which drew praise from Junot Díaz, the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner) and 20th Century Boys.
Urasawa's work often concentrates on intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, a deep focus on character development and psychological complexity. Urasawa has won the Shogakukan Manga Award, the Japan Media Arts Festival excellence award, the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 2008 Urasawa accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University.
Series list (not including short stories collections):
- Pineapple ARMY (パイナップルARMY) 1985-1988, written by Kazuya Kudo;
- YAWARA! 1986-1993;
- Master Keaton (MASTERキートン) 1988-1994, written by Hokusei Katsushika;
- Happy! 1993-1999
- MONSTER 1994-2001
- 20th Century Boys (20世紀少年) 1999-2006
- 21st Century Boys (21世紀少年) 2007
- PLUTO 2003-2009, based on Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atom
- BILLY BAT 2008-2016
- Master Keaton Remaster (MASTERキートン Reマスター) 2012-2014
- Mujirushi (夢印-MUJIRUSHI-) 2017-2018, collaboration with Musée du Louvre
- Asadora! (連続漫画小説 あさドラ!) 2018-ongoing
Urasawa's work often concentrates on intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, a deep focus on character development and psychological complexity. Urasawa has won the Shogakukan Manga Award, the Japan Media Arts Festival excellence award, the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 2008 Urasawa accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University.
Series list (not including short stories collections):
- Pineapple ARMY (パイナップルARMY) 1985-1988, written by Kazuya Kudo;
- YAWARA! 1986-1993;
- Master Keaton (MASTERキートン) 1988-1994, written by Hokusei Katsushika;
- Happy! 1993-1999
- MONSTER 1994-2001
- 20th Century Boys (20世紀少年) 1999-2006
- 21st Century Boys (21世紀少年) 2007
- PLUTO 2003-2009, based on Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atom
- BILLY BAT 2008-2016
- Master Keaton Remaster (MASTERキートン Reマスター) 2012-2014
- Mujirushi (夢印-MUJIRUSHI-) 2017-2018, collaboration with Musée du Louvre
- Asadora! (連続漫画小説 あさドラ!) 2018-ongoing
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
July 19, 2023
And then there were four, it's weird how only Kiriko san knows about this fourth friend.
It seems like that all next volume is dedicated to unraveling this fourth friend, who is he and how did he come to be Friend.
In this volume we read how Kanna and Ocho and Yukiji failed to kill friend, and how the coup d'etat failed, and Manjoume Inshou killed.
Honestly since i have been taking these medications, my mind is empty of thoughts regarding what am reading lol, i can't make my reviews thought provoking anymore and that's really sad.
We also find out that Kiriko succeeded in making a new vaccine, to the new virus friend intends to release with his flying saucer.
We also learn that professor Shikishima made a new robot, that can beat the flying saucer of friend, but it can only be manned by Kenji, since he already rode that last robot, and wasn't nauseated from doing so.
We also see the frog empire were Keroyon san have successfully found Kiriko san, and got together with her. (Long Live The Frog Empire Ribbit Ribbit!)
It seems like that all next volume is dedicated to unraveling this fourth friend, who is he and how did he come to be Friend.
In this volume we read how Kanna and Ocho and Yukiji failed to kill friend, and how the coup d'etat failed, and Manjoume Inshou killed.
Honestly since i have been taking these medications, my mind is empty of thoughts regarding what am reading lol, i can't make my reviews thought provoking anymore and that's really sad.
We also find out that Kiriko succeeded in making a new vaccine, to the new virus friend intends to release with his flying saucer.
We also learn that professor Shikishima made a new robot, that can beat the flying saucer of friend, but it can only be manned by Kenji, since he already rode that last robot, and wasn't nauseated from doing so.
We also see the frog empire were Keroyon san have successfully found Kiriko san, and got together with her. (Long Live The Frog Empire Ribbit Ribbit!)
2021 Read
April 7, 2018
It's a race against time as Kanna and Otcho feel they can't wait any longer. The two with the help of Yukiji are determined to kill the Friend, meanwhile Yoshitsune wishes Kanna would wait until she talks to her mother, details which Maruo has found out some new details about her and is investigating it on his own.
Meanwhile, the FDP seem to have their own agenda, that maybe even the Friend knows nothing about...considering the original Friend was killed.
Who is this new Friend? What are the FDP up to? And what will happen to Kanna, Otcho and Yukiji as they have decided to make their assassination attempt against the Friend?
And that's all I can say about vol. 20 of "20th Century Boys" because there are a lot of twists and turns, including some surprises. Fans and longtime readers will enjoy this volume when they see the final panel of the chapter but knowing that things are going to get crazy from this point on.
Meanwhile, the FDP seem to have their own agenda, that maybe even the Friend knows nothing about...considering the original Friend was killed.
Who is this new Friend? What are the FDP up to? And what will happen to Kanna, Otcho and Yukiji as they have decided to make their assassination attempt against the Friend?
And that's all I can say about vol. 20 of "20th Century Boys" because there are a lot of twists and turns, including some surprises. Fans and longtime readers will enjoy this volume when they see the final panel of the chapter but knowing that things are going to get crazy from this point on.
November 8, 2019
It's volume 20 and we have no trace of idea who is friend ? I am 😤😵😫. We are moving towards final showdown.
July 28, 2013
After a bit too banal and ill-paced "Everybody's Song," the weakest volume so far, Noki Urasawa compensates and delivers one of the best volumes so far. "Humanity in the Balance" is a roller coaster ride that clearly starts going full gear towards the finale just two volumes away, not counting the sequel duology "21st Century Boys". Again I was reading this out of breath, so completely intense the writing is.
It's still a true marvel how urgent and real Urasawa makes his storytelling feel. In just the space of a few pages he manages to create scenes that are devastatingly touching. There is just so much of everything in this book, and the challenge of holding all the various storylines together in your head is a titillating one.
I'm dizzy with excitement, anticipation, deduction and emotion that I was put through in the course of this book. It was such a powerful experience from beginning to the marvelous end. At this point I'm so sad to know that soon it will all be over. What will I read when this perfection ends?
It's still a true marvel how urgent and real Urasawa makes his storytelling feel. In just the space of a few pages he manages to create scenes that are devastatingly touching. There is just so much of everything in this book, and the challenge of holding all the various storylines together in your head is a titillating one.
I'm dizzy with excitement, anticipation, deduction and emotion that I was put through in the course of this book. It was such a powerful experience from beginning to the marvelous end. At this point I'm so sad to know that soon it will all be over. What will I read when this perfection ends?
August 1, 2016
Now the identity of the second "Friend" is a mystery to uncover. Only Kenji knows his true identity. Another self starring drama written by "Friend" is going to unfold in real life before all humankind of earth. And the one to stop it is approaching with army of fans behind singing his ridiculous song. An unlikely pair of ally appears as a surprise, and their childhood dream of Giant Robot comes to reality. Now the stage is set for the final confrontation in the last 2 volumes.
September 12, 2018
Manga marathon
June 22, 2020
4 of 5 stars
November 18, 2023
Everything is still a mystery and things get more complicated.. will we ever get to know who friend is?
October 2, 2021
The group has located Kiriko, Kanna's mother, but Kanna isn't interested in waiting to meet her. She's ready to confront the Friend.
Honestly, this felt a little anticlimactic. The story could have ended here, but instead it just fizzles. Of course, it's really building to a confrontation between Kenji and the Friend, but there could have been a better way to handle Kanna's encounter without it just falling flat.
Don't get me wrong. This is still way more readable than just about anything out there.
Honestly, this felt a little anticlimactic. The story could have ended here, but instead it just fizzles. Of course, it's really building to a confrontation between Kenji and the Friend, but there could have been a better way to handle Kanna's encounter without it just falling flat.
Don't get me wrong. This is still way more readable than just about anything out there.
August 22, 2020
With the ending fast approaching, I, now, wonder where this is going. What with the SAME 'story' and 'question' being given, just like at the beginning. It's still thrilling & intriguing nonetheless. I'm not a fan of anime but it would be great if they adapted this. It baffles me that no studio take THIS manga to TV, or did the mangaka reject an offer? I know about the movie but nothing looks promising by what I've seen in the trailer...
February 26, 2021
I'm a little nervous about whether Urasawa will be able to pull off a satisfactory conclusion with just 2 volumes remaining.
October 11, 2021
Yukiji decides to close her dojo, to the dismay of her students. She tells them how proud she is of them and what they have accomplished then leaves them with the words of her hero: If you ever feel your life is in danger, just turn around and run like hell. She meets with Kanna, Yoshitsune, and Otcho, and tells Kanna she knows what she intends to do and she is coming with her. But first she advises her there is someone she needs to speak with first—namely, her mother. She also says that Maruo is on his way there to find her even now.
Maruo finds himself at an armed checkpoint that is flying a flag with a frog on it? What the heck? Could it be? He requests to be taken to their leader, even though they try to shoot at him, claiming he knows him. And he is right. It’s none other than Keroyon.
In the year 2000, Kiriko has given birth to a beautiful baby girl. Her baby daddy, Fukube, is acting strangely, going out for mysterious reasons. She follows him one night and sees his performance as Friend… and she is concerned. Now, in year 3 of Friendship era, she wants to atone for what she unwittingly did back then. She has a vaccine she hopes will cure the new virus, but there is only one person she is willing to try it on.
Meanwhile, Kanna, Otcho, and Yukiji have gone to assassinate Friend, whoever he is. But Kanna has her own agenda, which does not involve risking anyone else’s life but hers. She faces down the Friend while Otcho and Yukiji try to find her. They are confronted by Takasu, who reveals to them that Manjome is dead and they did it. Takasu’s agenda is simple. She wants to be the Holy Mother. Otcho and Yukiji escape, only to find an even greater secret, one that’s sure to play into Friend’s story about aliens coming to destroy them. What in the world is going on here? And what do the evil twins Yabo and Mabo have to do with anything?
We’re getting down to the wire, everything is coming to a head. And all indications point to the pivotal piece of the puzzle being Kenji. He is the one who will save the day. At least, that’s how I see it. He began it, with his Book of Prophecy. It’s only fitting that he be the one to end this madness.
Two more books to go, and then we’ll know all.
Maruo finds himself at an armed checkpoint that is flying a flag with a frog on it? What the heck? Could it be? He requests to be taken to their leader, even though they try to shoot at him, claiming he knows him. And he is right. It’s none other than Keroyon.
In the year 2000, Kiriko has given birth to a beautiful baby girl. Her baby daddy, Fukube, is acting strangely, going out for mysterious reasons. She follows him one night and sees his performance as Friend… and she is concerned. Now, in year 3 of Friendship era, she wants to atone for what she unwittingly did back then. She has a vaccine she hopes will cure the new virus, but there is only one person she is willing to try it on.
Meanwhile, Kanna, Otcho, and Yukiji have gone to assassinate Friend, whoever he is. But Kanna has her own agenda, which does not involve risking anyone else’s life but hers. She faces down the Friend while Otcho and Yukiji try to find her. They are confronted by Takasu, who reveals to them that Manjome is dead and they did it. Takasu’s agenda is simple. She wants to be the Holy Mother. Otcho and Yukiji escape, only to find an even greater secret, one that’s sure to play into Friend’s story about aliens coming to destroy them. What in the world is going on here? And what do the evil twins Yabo and Mabo have to do with anything?
We’re getting down to the wire, everything is coming to a head. And all indications point to the pivotal piece of the puzzle being Kenji. He is the one who will save the day. At least, that’s how I see it. He began it, with his Book of Prophecy. It’s only fitting that he be the one to end this madness.
Two more books to go, and then we’ll know all.
November 2, 2023
Amigo tiene el control absoluto del planeta, las piezas están puestas de tal manera que su juego está apunto de comenzar. El equipo de Kenji está tratando de hacer todo lo posible para neutralizarlo, pero siempre va un paso adelante. Aquí es donde en todo el volumen juegan con la figura de quién es Amigo, sin querer tratar de dar una respuesta clara del tema, y sinceramente estoy hasta dudando si Urasawa tenía claro que hacer con este giro de guión. Todo lo respecto a Fukubee se siente bastante natural, pero lo relacionado con este falso Amigo, si bien es interesante, se terminando dando demasiadas vueltas para supuestamente ser un amigo de la infancia, pero sin saber realmente quién es. Por este tipo de razones son las que me hacen dudar sobre la real claridad del mangaka sobre como desea llevar la historia. Y si bien, hay muchas respuestas, es demasiado predecible el desarrollo de la trama.
May 7, 2024
There's so much going on here, and none of it is in the slightest bit superficial. This might be one of the best volumes so far, for sure much richer in plot than the previous one, but also delivering a great ending, in a couple of fronts.
Turns out Kiriko knows some things that are adding quite an unexpected twist to the story. So there was a fourth mysterious friend, and Kenji also knows who he is? And he dubbed himself the '20th Century Boy', which really made that moment feel really pivotal, given the name of the whole series... duh...
The first chapters were particularly emotional and endearing, with Yoshitsune, Maruo and Keroyon getting the stellar moment they all deserve.
No Kenji yet, except for one page in the whole volume, mind you, but we are getting there. Plus now it's revealed why his comeback is so essential to the story, and just Humanity.
Only two more to go.
Turns out Kiriko knows some things that are adding quite an unexpected twist to the story. So there was a fourth mysterious friend, and Kenji also knows who he is? And he dubbed himself the '20th Century Boy', which really made that moment feel really pivotal, given the name of the whole series... duh...
The first chapters were particularly emotional and endearing, with Yoshitsune, Maruo and Keroyon getting the stellar moment they all deserve.
No Kenji yet, except for one page in the whole volume, mind you, but we are getting there. Plus now it's revealed why his comeback is so essential to the story, and just Humanity.
Only two more to go.
December 6, 2023
I'm not sure I've ever been so willing to read the end of a long series when I'm not truly invested in its main mystery. There's no reveal of who The Friend is that's going to be satisfying to me. It's either going to be incredibly stupid or else a bit of a shoulder shrug. We've just gone through so many characters with so many false leads that I've lost track of who's still alive, who's been absent from the plot for a while...There was a major return in either this or the previous volume, and I'd completely forgotten the character existed (not The Big Return, one of the minor ones) but it didn't feel like a revelation that they were back in the story, it was just another shrug, like okay, there are dozens of characters in this book who don't seem very important, and if they are...that's fine.
But I still want to keep reading, so Urasawa is doing something right.
But I still want to keep reading, so Urasawa is doing something right.
June 26, 2024
I am starting to worry about the ending of the series. Right now we are at a point, where everything should take more time to establish, explain, and show how it was done to get to this point and instead of that we are adding more and more secrets and it feels rushed. Because we are speeding to the finish line. And yet, it still works and it shows how well Urasawa can work with emotions and characters. We focus on other characters, rather than our singing guy and to me, it feels more interesting and rewarding, but it may be because we are finally getting some answers from The Holy Mother, The Godzilla, the big M.
April 11, 2022
This was convoluted story..... All story-lines are now converging, we see Maruo finding Frog and Kiriko and her vaccine, evil bully twins Yanbo and Mabo helping dr Shikishima to build an actual bipedal robot in order to destroy Friend's flying saucers (aka "Aliens" that spread the virus), Kanna ,Otcho and Yukiji make a move against the Friend and question is will they succeed.
In the meantime Kenji approaches the Tokyo while ominous flying saucers start to pop up all over the Japan bringing fear into everyone's hearts.
Art as always is great.
Highly recommended.
In the meantime Kenji approaches the Tokyo while ominous flying saucers start to pop up all over the Japan bringing fear into everyone's hearts.
Art as always is great.
Highly recommended.
June 24, 2020
Reading about Kiriko was actually good. But my only tension at this moment is...how the hell is everything going to be wrapped up in two volumes? Is it even possible? So many things are going on. And for God's sake, I still have no clue who this "new friend" is. Ugh, this enrages me!
But, Kanna giving up Yukiji and Otcho was a very good part. And I love Yoshitsune so much. He's a very good man.
But, Kanna giving up Yukiji and Otcho was a very good part. And I love Yoshitsune so much. He's a very good man.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2022
Honestly, it was a gripping tale from start until the pope assassination arc. The build up and the retcon was excused due to the nature of the narrative it's warranted and it was executed quite welll. But the lead up to the ending and the ending was a let down. You shouldn't retcon this far from the story as afterwards things will just feel cheap and unwarranted, after the pope arc it should've just been a simple tale of revolution. Otherwise the arcs before the pope arc was great.
May 29, 2017
Por fin tenemos la perspectiva de la madre de Kanna. Así como el horizonte se va cerrando para un termino que se viene encima. De todos modos-y aun cuando encuentro hay cosas torpemente tratadas- Urasawa consigue dar tensión a estos últimos capítulos.
Un nuevo virus amenaza con acabarlo todo y esta vez aparentemente no hay muchas salidas a la vista.
Un nuevo virus amenaza con acabarlo todo y esta vez aparentemente no hay muchas salidas a la vista.
June 28, 2018
I'll soon be reaching the end of this series, and the tone of this volume does give a sense that the wrap-up is near. Kanna confronts the Friend, wanting answers to his identity, and her mother Kiriko seems to have beaten the virus. I'm wondering what the final showdown will be in the remaining volumes.
July 11, 2020
This edition of the 20th Century Boys is pretty good. There is quite a bit of action, some twists and surprises and the paces is pretty good as well. It really feels like it's heading to a big ending. It's sort of a apocalypse after the apocalypse while waiting for the next one (if you've been following the story). It's one of the better stories in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2021
Jadi siapakah sahabat?
Lupakan segala kenyataan dan prosedur saintifik sesuai nalar atau tidak dalam serial ini. Namun plot yang dibangun Urasawa sensei luar biasa. Sangat intens dan membuat pembaca tak bisa menghela napas.
Kenyataan demi kenyataan mengejutkan terus menguak ke permukaan.
Sungguh di luar dugaan.
Lupakan segala kenyataan dan prosedur saintifik sesuai nalar atau tidak dalam serial ini. Namun plot yang dibangun Urasawa sensei luar biasa. Sangat intens dan membuat pembaca tak bisa menghela napas.
Kenyataan demi kenyataan mengejutkan terus menguak ke permukaan.
Sungguh di luar dugaan.
March 10, 2019
This volume seems tamped down as compared to previous ones. Clearly its setting up the stage for an epic conclusion and I like how various characters once thought dead or missing begin to pop up for their roles in the finale.
April 9, 2024
It's amazing where a volume can start and where it will stop in this series. Kanna ends up meeting her dad, which if you know what it means, you know what it means. Elsewhere, forgotten characters return and a new plot point is revealed.
August 30, 2020
O fim da guerra está chegando.
March 1, 2021
Will mankind win?
August 1, 2021
Volume épatant, une fois de plus. Je n'ai plus de superlatifs. Et, encore une fois, une révélation à la fin qui m'a stupéfié.
January 2, 2022
Omg another "Who was it again !?"
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