Masamune Shirow is an internationally renowned manga
Masanori Ota, better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow (Japanese: 士郎正宗), is a Japanese manga artist renowned for his influential contributions to the cyberpunk genre. Born in Kobe in 1961, he studied oil painting at Osaka University of Arts, where he developed an interest in manga. His early work Black Magic led to the critically acclaimed Appleseed, which won the 1986 Seiun Award for Best Manga. Shirow achieved global recognition with Ghost in the Shell, a groundbreaking manga that inspired multiple anime films and series, a live-action Hollywood adaptation, and numerous video games. His stories are known for blending action with philosophical inquiries into AI, post-human existence, and the ethics of technology. He has collaborated with Production I.G on projects like Ghost Hound and Real Drive. Shirow’s distinctive style and thought-provoking narratives have left a lasting impact on manga, anime, and science fiction worldwide, influencing creators including the Wachowskis of The Matrix fame.
I got this thinking it was a comedy (look at the cover) making fun of the "Ghost in the Machine" type of manga -and I guess it is- but I just don't get it.
It's clearly written to get you to think you know what's going on so you keep reading to prove yourself right then twists bring other guesses...
I gave it this second chance but I'm out- this doesn't entertain me.
I like how they wrapped up the Buer arc, and Buer's "Central Nervous Unit," which he calls himself "Philosopher for hell possessing the 5 legs of a mountain goat and the head of a lion, which contains the knowledge of all eternity," is cute, an egotistical perv, but cute.
By the end of the book you start to feel really sorry for the reporter, Vlind** *******, I mean the poor girl don't even have a name. And the introduction of the aunt is clever, I don't want to give too much away but I also like how Nene saw through the illusion that Takumi built.
Also the Pandoradio 4-panels shorts at the end are comical, in a good way. And Clarion's shredder mouth is a fun touch.
The story just gets crazier as it goes. This is like a goofy version of Ghost in a Shell, with loads of fanservice. Don't let that keep you from reading this funny android drama as the two main characters try to reach their goal of world peace. Recommend to teens and adults who love sci-fi manga and Ghost in a Shell.
Much better overall pacing than the first book but still very fan-service-y. I can ignore a lot of that but I doubt some of my friends/family could.
The big fight seems a bit drawn out in a shonen/Rurouni Kenshin sort of way - so I’m hoping for more (1) slice of life and (2) cyberpunk-y stuff in later volumes.
Welcome to volume two of the collaborative efforts of Masamune Shirow and Kōshi Rikudō who are both famous mangaka in their own rights. This series is rated Teen and might bother some due to the ecchi nature of the book so if you are going to give this book to younger teen then be sure to read it first just to be sure you are okay with it.
At the end of volume one we see Nene is facing down the incredibly dangerous Buer (which is presently destroying the city Nene was hoping to call home) and we are treated to a full color scene at the beginning of the book of Buer ready to disintegrate her and everything behind her. Life flashes before your eyes as imminent death stares you down so we get a glimpse into Nene's past before a miracle of science rescues our heroine (after all she is not Excel from Excel Saga so the Great Will of the Macrocasm won't bail her out of certain doom.) With Nene and Clarion working as a team they must overcome incredibly difficult odds to overcome a giant machine gone rampant. The book has a lot of action and random humor as one might expect in Kōshi Rikudō's work.
After the Buer incident is concluded Nene finally finds her way to her aunt Takumi Korobase's home now with Clarion in tow and under Nene's ownership. We get to see how off the wall Nene's aunt is and even more of the amazing skill Nene has at her fingertips as her aunt decides to tease Clarion and Nene has to stop her. We also see more of our spunky reporter Vlind who either is the reincarnation of Excel Excel or has amazing luck that keeps her alive regardless of how she gets into dangerous situations so if you enjoyed the first book in the series then why not continue watching the story where Nene one day hopes for world peace. :)
My favorite part of the book is actually when Takumi finds out Clarion does not want her ears touched and she actively tries to get to them. Nene is a good girl as she saves her beloved Clarion. :)