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I watched the anime and live-action adaptations of Kakegurui before ofLet’s gamble like crazy!
This 1st volume covers chapters 1-4.
ADAPTATIONS
I watched the anime and live-action adaptations of Kakegurui before of engaging with the manga, and since I already watched all anime and live-action entries, including tv series, movies and the spin-off Kakegurui Twin that have been made so far, surely it will continue in the near future, but meanwhile I’ll read the manga.
The anime is really good BUT I got hooked to the series with the live-action adaptation that while it’s quite similar to the anime, they add a certain degree of humor that helps to accept the reality of the series without affecting the intensity of the story.
So, in my humble opinion if you are curious about the adaptations of this manga, while the anime is quite enjoyable, I highly recommend to engage the live-action adaptation that so far (February 2023) is two seasons of Kakegurui main series, a couple of theatrical movies and one season of the spin-off Kakegurui Twin (set one year before of the events of the main series).
A SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER
Kakegurui isn’t a real Japanese word but a combination of two words and usually is accepted to be translated as “Compulsive Gambler”, since the series revolves around gambling in a high school for rich people.
Hyakkaou Private Academy is a respected high school where the children of powerful and influential business people assist and where everything is dealt with some kind of gambling, it can be cards or dice invented games but even some can use dangerous items like guns and blades. Every gambing den is supervised by the Student Council and each gambling den pays a tribute to be able of operating, and students who lose their gambles and they aren’t able to cover the money loses, they became “pets” losing all respect as human beings and having to endure all kind of humiliations.
The President of the fearsome Student Council is Kirari Momobami, a female student that got her position as president in a gambling game against the previous president.
ENTER: YUMEKO JABAMI
Yumeko Jabami, a female student, enters into the Hyakkaou Private Academy and at once she became of person of interest to the Student Council.
Yumeko became fast friend of Ryota Suzui, a male student who is suffering the status of “pet” at the beginning of story due losing a gamble to the influential gambler Mary Saotome (she will be the main character in the spin-off Kakegurui Twn).
Yumeko plays a rock-paper-scissor card type game with Mary.
Later she will be challenged by a junior member of the Student Council, First Year female student, Itsuki Sumeragi, in a double memory card type game.
And so far in this volume, Yumeko engages in a “life or death” game using a casino roulette, by the Traditional Research Club President Yuriko Nishinotoin, a female student well respected and member of the Student Council.
Sometimes winning, sometimes losing, but Yumeko always sees through the cheating practices of her challengers, becoming a shattering element to the status quo of the so far fearsome Student Council.
In this 22nd volumen, the story arc about Peorth, the FourtHild’s michief!
This 22nd volume covers chapters 136-141.
OTHER OPTIONS AND MISCHIEF
In this 22nd volumen, the story arc about Peorth, the Fourth Goddess wanting to grow up back continues.
Previously, Hild, the big boss of hell and mother of Urd, is the only one able to get back Peorth to her former self, but Urd didn’t agree with the terms of Hild that it implies that Urd would go to hell (literally) with Hild.
Without making spoilers, Hild offers an alternative option that Urd accepts and even the other goddesses participate in the end. Hild, however, asks Urd to say "Mother" to her, but Urd isn't thrilled about it.
Hild even so will help them to avoid that Welsper would make any new curse. Welsper won't be the same anymore!
So, everything is good again, right?
Wrong!
Since, while Hild returns to hell…
…she leaves behind a small part of her who makes contact with non other than our favorite demon, Mara, and both are up to a new mischief to the bunch of goddess at Keiichi Morisato’s residence!
While I have clear that Oh My Goddess! is a Japanese manga story, I've read it sPeorth is back!
This 21st volume covers chapters 130-135.
NEW FORMAT
While I have clear that Oh My Goddess! is a Japanese manga story, I've read it so far in its American re-published format by Dark Horse Comics, and that was kinda better, not because of the language but because in the American format you have kinda TWO Japanese volumes covering the double of story...
...why is that better beyond of having more story?
Well, it was it seems that sometimes in the Japanese format, a storyline was parted in two volumes, so you have to read two volumes to understand a whole single story...
...since it's hard to rate a volume like this one at hand if the story isn't complete.
PEORTH HAS A SMALL TROUBLE
Peorth, the fourth goddess is back but she isn't like she used to be, now she was de-aged to look like a small child, but retaining her adult memories. You can guess that she's not happy about it and she wants to get back to normal.
Peorth goes to Keiichi Morisato's home and asks for assistance to your favorite trio of goddesses, Belldandy, Urd and Skuld but none of them are able to revert the condition of the fourth goddess.
The solution would come out for an unlikely character (present during the whole process) pointing out to a new character (but having old roots in one of the trio of goddesses).
However, the trouble is far from being resolved since the conditions of the new character aren't accepted, leaving us to a cliffhanger to be solved (I hope so!) in the next volume....more
This is the sixth and final book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan LeeFinal Level!
This is the sixth and final book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley
PILGRIM’S PATH COMES TO AN END
I don’t think I’m ready to be a grown-up.
I don’t think you are either, buddy. But hey, you’ll get it.
It just takes practice.
This final book was…
AWESOME!!!
Even I think that the art was even better (the artwork along the series was always good) but I don’t know it’s like the inking is better, the use of shadowing is better, the backgrounds are better, even the nights are better!!!
You can’t be mistaken! Scott Pilgrim’s saga comes to an end and it’s with a bang!
Scott Pilgrim’s life reached low in absurd levels, his band (Sex Bob-Omb) broke up, he has been jumping from place to place, he lost his job, and…
…Ramona Flowers disappeared (literally!!!).
Knives Chau is finally 18 years old, and almost no longer a high schooler, and almost free of her infatuation for Scott… almost… but plenty enough.
Envy Adams is back in town, due the harsh rupture of Clash at Demonhead’s band, she is now a solo singer and about to present her first solo album and guess what? Yep. She’ll do it in a new club owned by Gideon (see the second section of this review).
Kim Pine is out of town, got back to her parents’ home and trying to find herself.
Young Neil isn’t that young anymore, and that’s it about his participation. Thanks for asking.
Stephen Stills formed a new band! (and no, Scott isn’t on it!)
Julie Powers (I didn’t mention her before in the saga’s reviews) never did something relevant in the whole story (that’s why I never mentioned her before), she was the original and best, mean bitch queen alright, but hardly that qualifies her to be a character that it was always mentioned in the main cast of the saga.
Stacey Pilgrim was never pushed to her real potential as character, it’s not like she does something really relevant in the movie, but still, I was expecting more about Stacey, since definitely she had a lot of potential as character.
Wallace is still Scott’s conscience, and along with Kim, they are responsible to help Scott to find his path again…
…but you’ll have to read the book to find out the rest, folks!
But trust me…
…it’s awesome!
THE LEAGUE: SEVENTH ROUND – FINAL BOSS
I don’t even want to fight you! The secondary characters made me do it! She’s gone, okay?!
That makes you the newest member of the league, doesn’t it?
The league of evil ex-boyfriends?
Join me, Scott, and I will complete your training! Together we can rule Ramona’s future love life!
Gideon Gordon Graves, millionaire, professional asshole, vicious mastermind, he likes to control what his women should wear, say, think and even when they should stay (literally) frozen meanwhile he’s busy, the very embodiment of everything that’s evil in Scott Pilgrim’s world, final boss and intellectual founder & financial supporter of the League of Evil Ex-Boyfriends!
Honestly, if you think that movie version of Gideon was bad (in the evil sense, duh!)...
...you still have to see the original book version of Gideon!
GEEZ FRAKKIN’ DARN!!!
Scott V. Gideon: the Dawn of Lunacy…
…this is the fight that you were waiting for five books, and certainly the waiting paid off, since is definitely an awesome final duel, with several surprising twists and shocks…
…even stuff that we already embraced as normal or didn’t pay attention, you’ll realize that they shouldn’t being normal or that you should paid attention, but…
…that’s the appealing of Scott Pilgrim’s saga!
Oh! And…
…The final update on my hunch (see reviews of books 3, 4 & 5)…
…well, the hunch didn’t pay off. Bummer. I mean, there was something about this secondary (almost tertiary) character in relation with a relevant secondary (almost primary) character, but pleeeeease! What resulted was sooooo obvious that I saw it coming since the third book. It wasn’t even a shock. My hunch was expecting something else, something related to the main story, some kind of surprising plot twist, but nope. Oh, and I won’t say who that character was, since I guess if you ever read the story, you’ll know about who I was speaking about.
But don’t get distracted with this darn hunch that didn’t reach anywhere!
Scott Pilgrim’s saga is fun, entertaining, clever, and if you can deal with all its wackiness, you’ll have a wonderful thrillin' ride while reading it!!!
This is the fifth book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley Fifth Level!
This is the fifth book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley
PILGRIM’S PATH GOT A GLOW
I don’t care who you are, or where you’re from. Or… what you did. As long as you love me.
I’ve done bad things
We both have. Everyone has!
Scott Pilgrim is now 24 years old (with Birthday party, cake and stuff), and Ramona Flowers revealed in the previous book that she’s 24 years old, so now they both are of the same age…
…of course, 24 years old in a woman is something TOTALLY different than 24 years old in a man, and Scott is a very, very, VERY good example of that discrepancy in mental maturity between genres.
Ramona’s head is starting to glow in moments of stress…
…yes…
…you’d read right…
…glow…head…
This situation is like in Harry Potter’s when they explained that it’s not a good sign to speak serpents’ language, even in a world full of magic users. Here, even in a looney world like Scott Pilgrim’s is quite odd to find that the head of a woman begins to glow.
Fighting robots, common. Glowing heads, uncommon.
And this is definitely NOT good for Scott’s love life!
Since the Glow seems to make people quite bitchy!
About the good ol’ Sex Bob-Omb’s band, resulted that the three-months process of recording its first album (of only seventeen minutes long!) ruined the really small not-sucky dexterity of its members about playing as a group. It’s not a loss for humanity like when The Beatles broke up, but still is kinda of sad, watching the path that it’s taking our merry indie Canadian band.
THE LEAGUE: FIFTH & SIXTH ROUND – DOUBLE CHALLENGE
So I guess you’ve dated some real jerks, eh?
Yeah, but who hasn’t?.
Kyle & Ken Katayanagi, twins (but one colored blonde his hair and each wears different outfit (in real life I can understand (the search of your own identity and all that stuff) but in a graphic story… who shows twins (of the same genre) that they don’t like identical?! That’s the whole fun of using twins in a story!), Japanese, martial artists (Japanese, duh!), award-winning roboticists, handsome jerks, perfect asshats, and they like to be properly introduced, and BOTH…
…are Ramona’s Evil Ex-Boyfriends!
In the movie version (yeeees, it was after of this, but pleeeease, woooork with me!), Ramona commented that she never was dumped. I guess that’s part of her aura making understandable (in the wacky logic of Scott Pilgrim’s world) why her ex-boyfriends ended so obssessed about her. However, in this book, Ramona mentioned in a very casual way that some Doug indeed dumped her. Maybe isn’t relevant for you, but for me, it’s like finding a teeny weeny stain in that masterpiece paint. Who was so moron for dumping Ramona Flowers?! Well, she added that this Doug was kind of a dick, though (so that explains it!).
The book story still goes incognita (for those (like me) that watched the movie before) and the battles (plural (there are many plurals in this book!)) of Scott against the Japanese twins are totally different from what you’ve seen in the film. However, I am saying this as something bad, just establishing that the battles are different. What is kinda bummer is that almost all battles (but the final one), are constantly got out of “screen” and while what you get is also interesting and relevant, well, the battles against of the evil ex-boyfriends is one of the major issues in the general story so not being able to witness them, left you with some feeling of uncertainity.
Another thing that I didn't like in this fifth volume, it was that there were some "mysterious" characters, those that they are mentioned, but you never get to see them, that's always something cool; Lawrence (Scott's brother) and Mobile (Wallace's boyfriend) were quite mentioned but never on "screen", but hey whadda you know? They are put in "screen"! Geez! Okay, it was funny that Scott thought that they were Gideon (and a potential cool twist, but not true), so if they won't do anything vital in the story, why show them? They were cooler as not-seen characters.
The update on my hunch (see reviews of books 3 & 4)…
…is that there isn’t any update to tell!
But I am not giving up, there’s still a final volume and anything can happen there!
This is the fourth book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’MalleFourth Level!
This is the fourth book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley
PILGRIM’S PATH GOES INCOGNITA
Are… are you recording music? You have a home studio?! Oh my god.
Do you want something? Can I help you?.
Can you record our album? Sex Bob-Omb needs to record an album! We need to take it to the next level! You saw us in play in volume 3, right? We aren’t all that sucky, right?
Life is good for good ol Bryan Lee O’Malley (the author, duh!) since we notice improvements in the publishing of this fourth book with 8 opening pages in full color, and the best backcover ever (well, so far in the series) especially if you are fan of the old 8-bit video games!
As I guessed while reading the third book (see review), the experience on the fourth was a delicious "terra incognita" since many of what you watched in the film adaptation, was used in the original third book, so while certainly is the same evil ex-"boyfriend" here, the events weren't pictured in the movie version, and along with several other exclusive book events, certainly you'll never know what may happened here, until you read it!
Ironically in this fourth book, you’ll get a pretty straight narrative (if you got my pun! Wink, wink! Well, if you don’t anything about the fourth book, maybe you’ll need to read the second section of this review to get the pun, but don’t worry, you’ll reach it soon enough). Anyway, in this fourth volume you won’t get flashback chapters or flashback glimpses, and nothing related to a flashback at all.
So, you can say that it’s a volume quite attached to the present…
Don’t you just wish this moment could last forever?
This moment with your hand on my boob?
…Smooth, Scott. Real smooth.
Our heroes of the Sex Bob-Omb band are quite busy in this fourth volume…
Scott Pilgrim is maturing, gaining a lot of experience points, and now he has a real job! Washin’ dishes in a restaurant, yes I know, but what can you expect with Scott’s resume? NASA?! This is a looney world, but not that looney!
Also, Scott is finally leaving Wallace’s nest (not that he would have any choice, but still.) and thanks that he isn’t a jobless loser anymore (oh, no! Now he’s a loser with a job! Big difference!), so Ramona Flowers allow him to move in her house.
Stephen Stills is coordinating the record of the Sex Bob-Omb’s first album.
And Kim Pine, well, Kim, mmh… let’s just say that beer and misandry is a terrible mix.
THE LEAGUE: FOURTH ROUND
Your dreams suck, Pilgrim.
Nuh-uh… They’s cool. Like anime.
Roxanne “Roxie” Richter, accomplished fine artist, half-ninja, versed in subspace, armed with a ninja sword, kinda chubbier than she used to be in college and the fact that she is a woman isn’t a deterrent to be…
…the fourth evil ex-boyfriend! I mean girlfriend! I mean ex-girlfriend! Darn it! Evil ex-girlfriend! Geez!
Past love life of Ramona was anything but boring! So, she had a phase in college and got a thing for a time with Roxie Richter, and of course now Roxie want to kill Scott. Nothing that shocking in this story.
However, in the defiant life of Scott Pilgrim, always there are more than one challenge (at a time!) and his hands will be full (besides of Ramona’s boob, of course) with a mysterious stalker with sword (yes, there will be A LOT of swords in this fourth volume) (nope, I won’t spoil who the mysterious stalker is!) and the return of Lisa Miller (do you remember her? From volume 2 (see that review but don’t see the movie, since she isn’t there) Ha! I knew that she would come back!)) with the dangerous accumulated unfulfilled crush for Scott that will put to the test the still fresh and fragile relationship of Scott & Ramona.
About my hunch in the third volume (see that review), well, it wasn’t what I thought. Nope. Not even close. However, I still think that the good ol’ Bryan Lee O’Malley is messing with my mind! Since there is something odd in that secondary (almost tertiary) character and noticing something odd in a world like the one of Scott Pilgrim isn’t cheap talk, so we’ll see (okay, I’ll see!) if there is indeed some hidden surprise about that character.
This is the third book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley Third Level!
This is the third book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley
PILGRIM’S PATH INTERMIXES
Look, it’s almost 3:30…
Right. It’s almost 3:30, and we’ve been here for a quarter of this book. Let’s call it a night.
In the second book, you get flashback chapters of Scott’s past life when he was still a teenager, and while you get basically the same here, there is a key difference here. In the second book, the scenes in the past were clearly developed telling a whole chapter once started, but in this third book uses a storytelling technique quite popular nowadays in several TV series, that it’s showing gilmpses of the past of the character (in this case, often Scott’s) but intermixed in the present events, obviously showing the precise past moment to increase the intensity of present situation.
Also, another relevant comment about this third book is that, while in the second book you get “extra scenes” in comparison with the movie (yes, I am aware that these books were before the movie, so it shoud be seen at the contrary, but hey, indulge me and work with me, okay?), however, the story shown in this third volume is totally like an alternate universe version, where several things happened pretty much like in the movie (please, I politely asked you to work with me!) but others are quite different and even you’ll get scenes that you will recognize from what it should until the fourth book, just not with the same characters involved (so, a cool thing is that the fourth book promises to be a “terra incognita” in comparison of what we watched in the movie adaptation).
In the second book, we found out that the infamous Sex Bob-Omb wasn’t the first Scott PIlgrim’s musical band, but in the third book we meet yet another previous Scott’s band! (Of course, I am not spoiling the name of any of those bands!)
Scott does a better gesture to come to a closure of his quite brief relationship with Knives Chau. However, as we all could witness (in the second book), sweet Knives is sweetly bonkers, evolving in the third book in the saga’s true wild card character, where you never can predict what she’ll do next. One thing is clear, Knives loves Scott beyond her own emotional happiness and physical safety…
…the power of the first teenage crush!
Scott’s love life with Ramona Flowers, still is depending of his effectiveness of beating the League of Ex-Boyfriends in an odd world where, you can accept as totally reasonable, cybernetic enhancements, clothing accesories with subspace unlimited storage capabilities, an unsaid rule that any drummer should be a female one, holey moons, save points, extra life items, and of course, the general acceptance that if you’re vegan, you just have psychic powers!
THE LEAGUE: THIRD ROUND
She doesn’t know what gelato is?
Nope.
It has milk, right?
And eggs.
You’re a credit to the vegans, Todd.
Todd Ingram, bass player at “Clash at Demonhead” band (a Canadian band, highly popular at the moment), major jerk and a cheatin’ psychic vegan.
Things are getting more and more complicated in the escalation of the battle against the fearsome League of Ex-Boyfriends. Since in this third book, Scott is facing Todd that besides his psychic powers (that they works like a merging between Dragon Ball Z’s ki field and Star Wars’ Jedi Force), what really got dirty the battlefield is that Todd is (obviously) a Ramona’s ex-boyfriend but also is the current boyfriend of Envy Adams (aka Natalie V. Adams; leader of the Clash at Demonhead’s band) which is a former Scott’s girlfriend. But the dirt in the third battleground doesn’t stop there, oh no, my friends! Since Todd is also currently cheating on Envy with Lynette Guycott (Clash at Demonhead’s drummer).
Oh, boy!...
OH, FRAKKIN’ BOY!!!
Five Character Battle… Activated!
Also, you’ll get a sneak preview cameo of the final boss!
And maybe I am wrong, but since I didn’t cheat checking ahead the fourth book, while reading this third book, I was left with the feeling that certain secondary (almost tertiary) character (introduced in the second book) maybe, just maybe, it’s more than the apparent with potential of becoming THE relevant character in the next volume, mostly due the wearing of certain t-shirt with certain logo, that one knows that in the wacky world of Scott Pilgrim’s saga, the symbols in t-shirts have a hidden significance, so I don’t know, maybe the good ol’ Bryan Lee O’Malley (the author) is messing with my mind. I won’t get into details, since I don’t want to spoil anything, and in any case, it’s just a personal hunch.
This is the second book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’MalleSecond Level!
This is the second book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley (boy, he doesn’t share, ain’t he?)
PILGRIM’S PATH GOES BACK AND FORTH
My name is Knives Chau, and I’m a Scottaholic!!
My name is Alejandro Sáenz, and I’m a Ramonaholic. (Whew. Glad I got that off my chest (and yes, I’ve eaten fish and I have no shame about it!), but you must figured it out due the review of the first book)
The plot thickens…
…in this second book, you’ll get quite a bit about Scott Pilgrim’s past!
If you watched the movie, isn’t a secret that Kim Pine is a former girlfriend of Scott Pilgrim, but one thing is knowing the fact, and other being able to watch how was their relationship!
Trust me, you won’t be able to see Kim Pine in the same way, again!
That’s amusing that even when you think that you know what to expect (or more acurate, that you know that everything is possible in the looney world of Scott Pilgrim) that when you meet a scene that it’s just like something out of AKB48: Majisuka Gakuen, Samurai Girl: Real Bout High School and/or Ikki Tousen, you need some seconds to realize that what you just watched (and read), really happened and it’s not an illusion or a dream! (and by the way, a cool and funny scene that you only get by reading the Canadian manga series).
Also, you get to meet a new character (that you didn’t get in the movie!) which is Lisa, in the flashbacks of Scott’s High School days, that no doubt it will have some future impact in the present of the story in following volumes.
And you meet the first band of Scott that it wasn’t Sex Bob-Omb! Nope! There was another first.
Back in the present of our tale…
It wasn’t easy for Scott (and he didn’t do it in the proper way and it wasn’t after several advices/threats from his both “consciences” aka Stacey and Wallace that he must break up with Knives if he’d keep seeing Ramona) but finally he told Knives Chau that it was better that they should break up (of course he didn’t mention the Ramona Flowers factor in the equation). However, Knives didn’t take it well (no doubt since he didn’t it do it properly) and if you add a new ninja psychotic phase of Knives, well…
…let’s just say that Ramona’s health is in danger (along with the insurance of the Toronto’s Reference Library!) (and yes, another exclusive scene of the mangas), but don’t worry too much since Ramona has her moves too.
Cat Fight! On!
But Knives’ revenge plans won’t limit to attack Ramona, oh no, she will try to become an improved version of Ramona (as if!) and finally, Knives must get Scott jealous (at least that’s her goal) so she will hit in the inner circle of Scott’s friends, obviously right in the weakest link.
THE LEAGUE: SECOND ROUND
It’s this dude. This guy Lucas Lee.
Oh, right. The actor.-- --Wasn’t he in the cover of “Now” last week? Are you stalking hi mor what?
No, he’s in town. And Wallace found out he’s Ramona’s second evil ex-boyfriend.
So I have to train, by watching these movies, and then go find him and fight him.
What?!
It’s a long story, okay? Read the book sometime.
Lucas Lee, rising actor, sellout (and not only due box offices) and kickin’ skater.
There isn’t much about Lucas Lee and Ramona Flowers’ past relationship and it won’t be much about his fight againt Scott (while it’s quite similar to the one in the movie, over there you’ll get a longer fight in comparison with the one in the manga).
The really interesting part will be the “sneak preview” of the incoming third round (stay tuned in the third volume!) since Envy Adams (extra cool (but Ramona is still cooler) lead singer of The Clash at Demonhead, one of the hottest profesional bands in Canada (with discographic contract and all the stuff) and former girlfriend of Scott Pilgrim (poor Knives barely would be able to deal with that fact) and current girlfriend of Todd Ingram (Ramona Flower’s third ex–boyfriend).
you’ll get the picture that almost everybody here is former boyfriend/girlfriend of somebody else in the cast but also current boyfriend/girlfriend of somebody else.
Scott’s world and Ramona’s world are colliding each other and everybody will feel the shockwaves!
This is the first book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley
AGame on!
This is the first book (in a series of six) of “Scott Pilgrim” saga.
Creative Team:
Creator, writer and illustrator: Bryan Lee O’Malley
AM I DREAMING?
Um… am I dreaming? -- -- I’ll leave you alone forever now.
Thanks.
My first contact with Scott Pilgrim’s world was through the movie adaptation, that I wouldn’t watch (at least not so soon as I did) if Mary Elizabeth Winstead (which I love) wouldn’t be in the cast.
And I would lost a lot! Since that movie rules!
So bizarre, clever, exciting and funny! Am I dreaming? This movie was just right for me!
I was watching it again last week (I have it in DVD and Bluray, and yes I am keeping both editions since the DVD has a magenta background in its cover, and the Bluray has a blue background in its cover, and if you know the most basic things about Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s character) you well know that this is just wonderful and yes, I’d need a future format edition in a green background, dang it!).
So, I was watching once again the movie, and again I was thinking that I should read the original Canadian mangas (or are they comics? Whatever, dudes) and…
…in the following weekend I went to the XVII International Book Fair (a yearly book event in my country (Costa Rica)) and in a stand, there was a set with all 6 books (actually there were two sets, but it sounds more epic saying that there was just one set!) (and even with a special discount due the fair), am I dreaming? There it was just the right set of books waiting for me…
…take my money and give me that set!!!
And finally I am reading the epic saga.
By the way, I am sure, some of you, are wondering, and the movie adaptation covers the six books in the series, so nope, it’s not like the first book is the movie, and you’d read other adventures in the other five books. Nope. The six books in the Canadian manga series are what you get in the movie (of course, you may expect some deeper detailing here and there, and different approaches to the scenes).
PILGRIM’S PATH
What kind of tea do you want?
There’s more than one kind of tea?
The world of Scott Pilgrim (story’s main character) is a wacky one where silly things like physics’ laws aren’t quite existing so you can have the maximum level of fun there…
…So, this is a looney world when dream state highways can be a casual talk, 23-years old boys don’t know the basics of internet and e-mail (trust me, that’s not normal), and losing fighting dudes can turn into coins…
…yes, you heard me. Deal it. Chew it. Move on.
Scott Pilgrim is a 23 years old dude, he lives in Toronto, Canada, he’s between jobs and current bass player in a band, the Sex Bob-Omb (desperately trying to get a discographic contract). Scott has a roommate, Wallace Wells, gay, and Scott’s voice of conscience. Scott’s younger sister is Stacey Pilgrim and she’s the other voice of conscience for Scott. Yep. You betcha that Scott needs all voices of conscience available.
By the way, the Sex Bob-Omb are: Stephen Stills (the talent, guitar player and leader of the band), Kim Pine (drums) and (Young) Neil Nordegraf (biggest Sex Bob-Omb’s fan (until Knives Chau (keep reading) comes in)).
And at the beginning of the story, Scott just started to date a high schooler: Knives Chau, 17 years old, Chinese and in a Catholic school (yes, with uniform), so yeah, Scott has no shame, but technically that’s not the problem, nope, life gets really complicated when Scott meets…
…Ramona Flowers.
Ramona Flowers, none disclosured age (in this first book) but clearly twenty-something, American, recently she moved to Canada, and she’s the only delivery girl in Toronto’s downtown area for Amazon.ca. She wears cool outfits and has magenta colored hair (later she’d changing the color to blue and later to green) and she travels in rollerblades. Gorgeous. Smart. Cool. Perfect. (It helps that beyond the basic manga appearance, I keep thinking in Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s version). Oh, and she’s the best living blanket ever in the history of mangas (and movies by the way). Oooh, yeah.
But if you think that complications are due Scott is so lame to start dating Ramona without officially breaking up with Knives, nope, that’s not it…
…Oh, don’t get me wrong, double dating (especially if one of them is an underage girl) is still a very douchebag thing to do (I like Scott, but men shouldn’t do that to women (and viceversa)), but, nope, that’s not the new complication factor introduced in Scott Pilgrim’s life…
ENTER THE LEAGUE
You dated seven evil dudes?
Not all at once!
Everybody has a past. It’s impossible that you meet new people in your life without being certain that that new people have a past.
Scott has a past (that we all get to know in the following books in the series).
And Ramona has a past too.
The problem with Ramona’s past is that it (literally) follows her and interferes with any chance for her of newer romantic relationships.
The League of Seven Evil Ex-boyfriends is a non-profit organization, homebased in America (but currently expanding to Canadian territory) with a single marketing goal: To destroy any newer boyfriend in Ramona Flowers’ life.
Oh, and if you think that that was bad enough, nope, that’s not the worst part…
…wait for it…
…keep waiting a little longer…
…the seven members of the League of Seven Evil Ex-boyfriends have super powers…
…yes, you heard (well, read actually) right…
…super powers!
I told you that physics’ laws left the building for good!
In this first book, you’ll meet Matthew Pattel, with mystical powers and decided to fight against Scott Pilgrim. But, even for an evil ex-boyfriend, Pattel is quite fair and he sent two letters, one per e-mail and one per snail mail (yes, people still do that! That’s not something up in this wacky world), too bad that Scott found boring to read anything, even if they’re death threat warnings!
So…
Open your eyes up… Maybe you’ll see… Scott Pilgrim’s world!!!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets The Big Bang Theory meets TRON (raised to the nth power (TRWOW !!! (Pun intended, if you what I meant ;) )
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets The Big Bang Theory meets TRON (raised to the nth power (TRON, I mean)).
The most clear appealing to read this novel is obviously the insane quantity of geek references, mostly to 80's era (and some of 70's too), so it is most likely that people who aren't geek (don't worry, nobody is perfect) may be feel alienated and/or not interested to read this book.
However, since "geek" is the new black these days, so maybe you would consider to give it a shot to the book. But trust me, if you didn't born in the 70s or early 80s, so being able to live all the things that were "cool" then, well, or if you weren't interested to read about "the past", well, you won't understand or enjoying several (if not all) of the references made here, that they're not the story per se, oh yes! There is a story! But maybe you won't enjoy it the same.
Therefore, I can't deny the advantage of being a geek, specially raised in the now classic time known as "The 80s", to understand almost all references and stuff that it's commented on the narrative.
However, honestly I think that even you aren't a geek per se, if you are looking for a good novel in the dystopian genre with young brave heroes battling against a powerful corporation determined to rule society, well, I am sure that you will be able to enjoy quite enough the general core of the storyline.
(While it's almost impossible that a novel can coincide with our own personal favorites of 80's and 70's, I thought to quote some of mine along the review. If you don't get them, don't worry, they're not relevant to the review itself. Just indulge me.)
I feel the need. The need for speed!
While on the novel is stated that, Wade Watts, the main character thinks that God doesn't exist and even, James Halliday, the key trigger of the story, is an atheist. I really think that religion is a strong issue in this novel. Wade a.k.a. Parzival didn't believe in God and therefore he doesn't read The Bible, BUT he believes in Halliday and he reads with passion the Anorak's Almanac, reaching the point of knowing almost anything about Halliday's life and his tastes on films, TV, music, books, etc... So, basically he changed the name of his raw human necessity of a god or a higher power in which to believe on. Even it's amusing to notice a moment where Wade calls the name of the deity in Conan's stories, since he is an "atheist", he "can't" claim that his luck was because the common perception of god. However, not matter the name that you choose, in the moment that you acknowledges that your life may be affected by the hand of a superior power, well, it's non-relevant which name you opted to use. God is God.
Another religious evolution in the story is another raw impulse in human beings... becoming a god. Halliday, with the creation of his Easter's Egg contest, he acomplishes that a whole generation (even severals of it) became obssesed with his life and his personal tastes, influencing the way of thinking and speaking of all those interested to get the ultimate prize. Wade goes to that too, since he is able to reach positions that nobody else has ever done before and he is able to taste how is like to be a god and that thousands of strangers get interested to follow his life and his tastes.
Darmok and Jalad... at Tanagra.
Any person has tastes and opinions, and most of the cases, we are sure that we are right about them, so we expressed them and in the bottom of our souls, we are convinced that we have excellent taste in things and that the rest of people should read, watch and hear all that it's of our preference, and therefore, they will become as "wise" and "illuminated" as us.
And the ambiance of this novel is almost just like how we are living now. Certainly we don't have a virtual universe so advanced as the OASIS, but internet, the social networks, blogs, forums, etc... are allowing to us to express our opinions about anything. Ironically, in the 80s, our circle of influence was absurdly limited, we barely were able to express it to our closest friends and family, but now? We can reach any human being with access to internet.
The generational gaps occur mainly because old people aren't interested to know about new suff, while young people aren't interested to know about old stuff. As simple as that. Everybody thinks that "his/her" stuff is better than the others'. It's amusing to see in this novel that a LOT of young people (in the future of 2044) are eager to learn about "old" stuff just because there is a huge prize involving money, and guess what? Many of them starting to find out how cool of that "old" stuff is. Too bad that there is have to be an incentive of money to make them to realize that. I think that I am lucky since I don't discriminate stuff for the era when it appeared. Why do I have to choose just "my" era? Why do I have to limit myself? I have "my stuff" of the generation where I grew up, but I do my best all the time to learn about stuff of before I even born and I do my best to keep up with new stuff. Only my death will set how many stuff I will be able to enjoy in my entire life. Each era has its charm and I am enjoying all of them.
Gathered together from the cosmic reaches of the universe – here in this great hall of justice - are the most powerful forces of good ever assembled.
In the 80s (and before), our social experiences were quite identical in our circles, we watched the same local TV shows, the same movies, etc... but now? Theathers launch multiple premieres each weekend, cable has more than 100 channels showing programming 24/7/365, publishing houses release hundred of books each month, etc... So, nowadays is almost impossible to find a single other soul watching, reading and hearing the very same stuff that we do. We'll have intersection points, several of them, but at the end, each of us, we are walking our own paths of entertainment.
Even before, we innocently thought that the "good stuff" was the same for all the rest of people. Now, we have certainty that a thing (naming book, film, TV show, song, etc...) that we love, may be hated by others, and viceversa. And that's okay. We are all different. Only we have to learn to respect the opinion of others, in the understanding that we do the same.
Keep on pushing me baby Don't you know you drive me crazy You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline.
Referring to the novel itself, I must point out that I found some of the challenges repetitive decreasing the excitement or reaching each of the three legendary gates. There are tests that they are basically the same just choosing a different "environment" and/or "theme".
Also, I think that the author didn't want that anyone would be able to guess the riddles, I mean, this is not like a detective mystery novel that you may not notice the clues in clear sight, but they are there, you just didn't giving them importance, no, in here, some of the riddles are solved showing knowledge of elements in the environment of the story that they are impossible for you to know its existence.
And getting back the "religious" angle in a way of speaking, there are a lot of scenes where you met a "Deus ex machina" element, where any character has a key gadget, never mentioned before, that it's perfect to solve the trouble. Not always is like that. However, I noticed enough instants like that, just to mention it.
At the end, the novel has an engaging narrative style that keeps you entertained all the way, marvelling about this extraordinary future with all its wonders and dangers.
Highly recommended.
Choose your own life, enjoy each moment of it and don't worry about others think. People of good will and true friends are going to be happy for you not matter what you do in your lives and they will respect you too.
P.S.
Solution for the Alejandro's Easter Egg in this review:
(view spoiler)[I'm kidding! :P It could be cool to hide an easter egg in the review but I didn't think anything. Excuse me for the innocent joke. But, you got curious and you had to take a peek, don't you? Mmh? Hehehe. (hide spoiler)]
This particular Manga TPB of Oh My Goddess was the first one to publish by Dark Horse on America tNow a rare item in any Oh My Goddess! collection
This particular Manga TPB of Oh My Goddess was the first one to publish by Dark Horse on America translated to the English language, however Dark Horse edited it and they didn't print several pages from the original Japanese version.
Fans found out and they reclaimed to Dark Horse.
The publishing house responded and they printed later 2 new TPBs Wrong Number and Leader of the Pack, in that way, the readers were able to get the whole initial stories with the full content intended on the original Japanese edition.
Technically, you don't need to have this very TPB, 1-555-Goddess since this Manga TPB has errors of sequence and it didn't have the whole content of the stories.
HOWEVER if you are a huge fan of Oh My Goddess on its original presentation on manga, you may consider to have this TPB as a cool item for your own collection since it went out of printing (due being an edition with the mentioned mistakes) and nowadays you can only have it if you are able to find some of the original first printing editions.
This is an artbook about Cardcaptor Sakura which is one of the most popular and successful anime series (along wGorgeous book!
CAPTURING CARDS!
This is an artbook about Cardcaptor Sakura which is one of the most popular and successful anime series (along with its original manga), which recently (2018) produced another anime series Cardcaptor Sakura - Clear Card, serving as sequel to the original anime series.
This book is about the original anime series and got out, back then when that said animated series was at its highest peak of popularity.
Sakura Kinomoto is chosen due her link to magic to become a "Cardcaptor" and therefore she has to deal against powerful magic cards and (obviously) capturing them, and with that, she is able to use the magic particular abilities of each card to help her in the next card capturing and/or facing other kind of threats.
Sakura is a school student, and she counts with the assistance of "Kero" (Cerberus) a small magical creature who is her guide to this new phase in her life.
Tomoyo Daidouji, her best friend is aware of the magical destiny of Sakura, and she is willing to help Sakura in any way, along with taping on video Sakura's battles and giving her a whole wardrobe of costumes (obviously to look better!).
But, Sakura wasn't chosen at random, and the anime series will take you to the awesome journey to discover why she has chosen for this and the unexpected development about the people around her.
In this book, you find gorgeous illustrations full color on prestige paper, exclusively done for this book...
...so, it's a great collector's item for any fan of the now iconic anime series.
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