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Junk Force, Vol. 1
The year is 2100! On a barren Earth, natural environmental reproduction is no longer possible. The population has placed its stakes on a reckless organization in hopes that it can purify the planet for environmental growth. But the organization known as Z.P.T. fails tragically. Many humans are transformed to white sand. Was this massacre an accident, or does Z.P.T. hold some dark intent for the unfortunate inhabitants? In this post-apocalyptic future three buxom young women - Liza, Wooty, Mill - and one fortunate young man, Louis, use their mechanical prowess to fend off waves Z.P.T.'s superior mechanized military forces. Guns and mecha mix with humor and plenty of "fan-service" in this original manga adventure.
200 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 27, 2012
Post-apocalyptic Earth is never a pretty sight to see in manga. Written by Hideki Hakinuma of DARTS and illustrated by Yu-suke Tsurugi, Junk Force delivers a three-volume glimpse into the wasteland known as Earth with twists, turns, and comedy.
In the year 2100, the earth has become a wasteland due to the Last World War between two factions, the Earth Regeneration Faction and the Mars Pioneer Faction. Because of the war, the earth’s natural resources dries up and the survivors of the Mars Pioneer Faction escape to Mars, leaving behind a powerful purification machine, the Z.P.T., programmed to cleanse the earth. Once the earth becomes hospitable again, the Mars Pioneer Faction plan to repopulate a new earth. Thirty years after the Last World War, the Z.P.T. seems to have gone crazy, sending Sweepers—gigantic tornados that annihilate everything in its path—indiscriminate of whose lives are destroyed.
Junk Force follows Liza, Wooty, Mill, Louis, and Mamet on a mission in saving the earth from being completely wiped clean. With their modest amount of recycled technology, including robots, tank-like vehicles, and handy weapons, the team of teenagers find their way into different and sometimes deadly situations. Weaving through the web of deception from agents of the Mars faction, Liza, Wooty, Mill, Louis and Mamet pool together their resources to find the Z.P.T. and stop its destructive programming.
Junk Force certainly illustrates the idea of dusty dunes, decrepit buildings, and deceptive civilians in a comedic light. The manga pokes fun at most of the main characters, topics including Wooty’s large breasts, Louis and Liza’s ambiguous relationship, and the spontaneous punches at the female psyche. I suppose this manga is between the shojo and shounen genre because of its explicit use of humor throughout its plot.
Along with comedy, Junk Force carries a brigade of designing features that exist in series like Gundam Wing and other mecca-type manga. All of the vehicles, weapons, and technological equipment were designed by Kenichi Matsukama, a separate designer than the manga creator, Yu-suke Tsurugi. All of the machines in Junk Force are heavily detailed, especially against the less detailed characters in the plot. The great sense of heavy artillery makes the reader enter the post-apocalyptic story with considerable ease.
Even though the comedic elements and the excellent mecca designs are evident, the characters lack personality range. The characters are all stereotypical in terms of identifying what kind of personality traits they possess. Louis, the only male of the group, is similar to the good guy that can’t get a date; he’s always in the wrong in an all-female team. He is also the stereotypical geek who fixes all of the machines and explains the random technological occurrences.
Louis’s love interest, Liza, is the strong female leader with a practical head on her shoulders. She acts like the big sister of the group, her sense of justice strong between the bonds of friends, surrogate families, and estrogen-based body parts. Liza’s rival and best friend, Wooty, is always at odds with the other female members of the group because of her overly muscular body and big breasts. She’s brash and brawny, but with a surprisingly thoughtful side to her rough exterior. In Wooty’s case, sometimes the best situations turn into all-out brawls due to her knock-em-dead take on other people.
Mill, the youngest of the team, is sweet and sensible, with a brain just as technologically advanced as Louis’s. Although she isn’t an overly important main character, Mill certainly brings in the softer element of a rather rambunctious group. The last member of the team, Mamet, is an android sent by the Mars Pioneer Faction to deliberately destroy what was left of the Earth Regeneration Faction. She was converted into a nice android by her time under the leadership of a kind woman. In spite of becoming a part of the group later than the rest of the females, Mamet is integral to the story’s success. Her super strength, speed, and latent technological abilities makes Mamet the team’s most powerful weapon against other Martian-created machines. Without her, many of the team’s adventures would come to a screeching halt.
Overall, Junk Force has succeeded in creating the dying light of earth with using teenagers as the last hope. The artwork is average, aside from the mechanical details, and the characters have a limited personality range, but the three-volume manga series is a great addition to anyone’s collection. Junk Force proves there can be fun and games within a post-apocalyptic earth.
In the year 2100, the earth has become a wasteland due to the Last World War between two factions, the Earth Regeneration Faction and the Mars Pioneer Faction. Because of the war, the earth’s natural resources dries up and the survivors of the Mars Pioneer Faction escape to Mars, leaving behind a powerful purification machine, the Z.P.T., programmed to cleanse the earth. Once the earth becomes hospitable again, the Mars Pioneer Faction plan to repopulate a new earth. Thirty years after the Last World War, the Z.P.T. seems to have gone crazy, sending Sweepers—gigantic tornados that annihilate everything in its path—indiscriminate of whose lives are destroyed.
Junk Force follows Liza, Wooty, Mill, Louis, and Mamet on a mission in saving the earth from being completely wiped clean. With their modest amount of recycled technology, including robots, tank-like vehicles, and handy weapons, the team of teenagers find their way into different and sometimes deadly situations. Weaving through the web of deception from agents of the Mars faction, Liza, Wooty, Mill, Louis and Mamet pool together their resources to find the Z.P.T. and stop its destructive programming.
Junk Force certainly illustrates the idea of dusty dunes, decrepit buildings, and deceptive civilians in a comedic light. The manga pokes fun at most of the main characters, topics including Wooty’s large breasts, Louis and Liza’s ambiguous relationship, and the spontaneous punches at the female psyche. I suppose this manga is between the shojo and shounen genre because of its explicit use of humor throughout its plot.
Along with comedy, Junk Force carries a brigade of designing features that exist in series like Gundam Wing and other mecca-type manga. All of the vehicles, weapons, and technological equipment were designed by Kenichi Matsukama, a separate designer than the manga creator, Yu-suke Tsurugi. All of the machines in Junk Force are heavily detailed, especially against the less detailed characters in the plot. The great sense of heavy artillery makes the reader enter the post-apocalyptic story with considerable ease.
Even though the comedic elements and the excellent mecca designs are evident, the characters lack personality range. The characters are all stereotypical in terms of identifying what kind of personality traits they possess. Louis, the only male of the group, is similar to the good guy that can’t get a date; he’s always in the wrong in an all-female team. He is also the stereotypical geek who fixes all of the machines and explains the random technological occurrences.
Louis’s love interest, Liza, is the strong female leader with a practical head on her shoulders. She acts like the big sister of the group, her sense of justice strong between the bonds of friends, surrogate families, and estrogen-based body parts. Liza’s rival and best friend, Wooty, is always at odds with the other female members of the group because of her overly muscular body and big breasts. She’s brash and brawny, but with a surprisingly thoughtful side to her rough exterior. In Wooty’s case, sometimes the best situations turn into all-out brawls due to her knock-em-dead take on other people.
Mill, the youngest of the team, is sweet and sensible, with a brain just as technologically advanced as Louis’s. Although she isn’t an overly important main character, Mill certainly brings in the softer element of a rather rambunctious group. The last member of the team, Mamet, is an android sent by the Mars Pioneer Faction to deliberately destroy what was left of the Earth Regeneration Faction. She was converted into a nice android by her time under the leadership of a kind woman. In spite of becoming a part of the group later than the rest of the females, Mamet is integral to the story’s success. Her super strength, speed, and latent technological abilities makes Mamet the team’s most powerful weapon against other Martian-created machines. Without her, many of the team’s adventures would come to a screeching halt.
Overall, Junk Force has succeeded in creating the dying light of earth with using teenagers as the last hope. The artwork is average, aside from the mechanical details, and the characters have a limited personality range, but the three-volume manga series is a great addition to anyone’s collection. Junk Force proves there can be fun and games within a post-apocalyptic earth.
January 5, 2010
ComicsOne was a distributor of licensed English-language manga whose company went belly-up, with all of their catalogue going to Dr. Master Publications. Unfortunately, much of said catalogue went out of print. Fortunately, the titles still available can be obtained for VERY low prices.
One such title is this fun little three-volume series. Junk Force, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi/comedy/adventure story with an eerily plausible premise (given the way our technology is advancing, I could see something like this actually happening one day. Hopefully long after I'm dead), follows a single boy, Louis, and his three beautiful female companions: Liza (who is actually the leader), Wooty (a big-busted babe with one hell of a kick) and Mill (the soft-spoken one who can't cook). In this future version of Earth, water is a treasure more precious than gold, and lead ingots are currency. Liza, Louis, Wooty and Mill, the titular Junk Force, travel this world in their armored trailer looking for scrap to use for parts and stuff to sell to get by.
Things get complicated when, during a visit to a town, Louis gets caught up in a woman's desperate flight from a bounty hunter. The hunter wants the woman's daughter, Mamet, a quiet girl with a major secret. Louis only meant to do a little shopping and not embarrass himself in front of Liza and Wooty, but before they know it, the Junk Force find themselves doing whatever they can to keep Mamet from being captured.
As this is only a three-volume series, there isn't very far to go, but I'm really looking forward to it. The elements of the story and comedy are very familiar and a bit predictable, but they're still a lot of fun, and the lively writing and great art certainly help. The characters get into some situations with rather interesting problems, and they way they ultimately arrive at their solutions is part of the series' charm. It's just too bad this was never adapted as an anime series, considering how perfectly suitable it would be.
One such title is this fun little three-volume series. Junk Force, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi/comedy/adventure story with an eerily plausible premise (given the way our technology is advancing, I could see something like this actually happening one day. Hopefully long after I'm dead), follows a single boy, Louis, and his three beautiful female companions: Liza (who is actually the leader), Wooty (a big-busted babe with one hell of a kick) and Mill (the soft-spoken one who can't cook). In this future version of Earth, water is a treasure more precious than gold, and lead ingots are currency. Liza, Louis, Wooty and Mill, the titular Junk Force, travel this world in their armored trailer looking for scrap to use for parts and stuff to sell to get by.
Things get complicated when, during a visit to a town, Louis gets caught up in a woman's desperate flight from a bounty hunter. The hunter wants the woman's daughter, Mamet, a quiet girl with a major secret. Louis only meant to do a little shopping and not embarrass himself in front of Liza and Wooty, but before they know it, the Junk Force find themselves doing whatever they can to keep Mamet from being captured.
As this is only a three-volume series, there isn't very far to go, but I'm really looking forward to it. The elements of the story and comedy are very familiar and a bit predictable, but they're still a lot of fun, and the lively writing and great art certainly help. The characters get into some situations with rather interesting problems, and they way they ultimately arrive at their solutions is part of the series' charm. It's just too bad this was never adapted as an anime series, considering how perfectly suitable it would be.
March 6, 2014
it was the only completed series in "last stop".
2134 A.D earth the last world war turned the planet into a dessert wasteland.
well the first conlflict was the junk force team getting chased by a giant scavenger. the second one was saving a little girl mamet turned out shes a android from mars. and finally a moving fortress thats very powerful.
louis he is static (does not change) very smart, clumsy and aggressive. "That hurts!! If you're gonna grab theme a little gentler!!" page 23
no mater how nice you are bad things still happen to you.
dont do reading strategy.
this book was amazing but be care full some seances the girls have nothing on.
2134 A.D earth the last world war turned the planet into a dessert wasteland.
well the first conlflict was the junk force team getting chased by a giant scavenger. the second one was saving a little girl mamet turned out shes a android from mars. and finally a moving fortress thats very powerful.
louis he is static (does not change) very smart, clumsy and aggressive. "That hurts!! If you're gonna grab theme a little gentler!!" page 23
no mater how nice you are bad things still happen to you.
dont do reading strategy.
this book was amazing but be care full some seances the girls have nothing on.
July 25, 2008
Okay. I finished the manga while I was at work today.
I love it so far, the building relationship between two of the main characters is very cute. Though, this is not for children by any means. There are breasts to be seen. Nipples censored, but they're still there.
It still makes for a fun, adventurous read. I recommend it fully.
Now off to find volume 2!
I love it so far, the building relationship between two of the main characters is very cute. Though, this is not for children by any means. There are breasts to be seen. Nipples censored, but they're still there.
It still makes for a fun, adventurous read. I recommend it fully.
Now off to find volume 2!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews