I would like to start off by saying that manga or comics, what ever art from is a beautiful art from nonetheless because it entails the use of sequential art and scriptwriting, of which therefore I lack skill in either of those. To have two kings of work being presented to me today, as I was reading both of them lead me to question their validity as being the best, by critic and fan alike. In 2005, Watchmen was regarded as the only graphic novel which was listed in Time's 100 best novels of the English language. It is the most influential graphic novel of all time by most of the comics community and was critically acclaimed by critics as debunking the superhero genre, placing it in real life times. It hypothesized the coming and the deconstruction of superheroes in a world of psychological realism and power.
Akira is perhaps regarded on the other side of the spectrum as the crown jewel of manga (though this is debatable), breaking most existing conventions in manga and was critically recieved by critics in Japan and was considered by Time magazine as an epic in the manga industry.
Sadly Akira got off to a bad start, comic-wise because a little publisher owned by Marvel at the time, known as Epic Comics, had made the series start off great, but had it dumbed down for western audiences, yet Watchmen went untouched in japan and was for the time being considered on par with Akira. From what I see in the Manga community, of todays new age Manga, it is a little underrated because of the credit that is so sadly was denied by the new crowd of manga lovers, because I have to say if it were not for that movie, manga would not have been introduced for the second time and would not have been as popular today. But without further ado, may i present my reason for loving these series.
Now I did not write this thread to point out which one is better, but rather what makes them so good. My personal opinion should not reflect that of others unless they have a concurring or a dissenting opinion.
Watchmen is a comic work of unparalleled vision in which it takes all of the nuances of the superhero, and reroutes it towards the real world, comparing the validity of superheroes to the threats of nuclear attack and political deconstruction. The ending and spoilers of Watchmen will blow those who have never read it or any other graphic novel, but all I have to say it that it breaks the conventions of what lengths a superhero would go through to save the world. The realism in Watchmen is greatly justified by what world it attempts to parallel, ours. The comparison are so subtle and yet so pristine it tend to make readers completely think what if for the entire duration of the reading of the graphic novel, or at least that is what I rationalized. Dr. Manhattan as the uninterfering God, The Comedian as the corrupt government agent and the evils of super-heroism, Nite Owl II as the disgraced follower, the Silk Spectre II as the embodiment of the bystander in a world of potential freedom and surpression, Ozzymandias as the true Superman, a master of the intellectual thinker and follower of the greater good, and Rorschach, the symbol of republican morality and application in a corrupt world and the embodiment of those who have a strict view on the world as having a truly black and white discernibility. All of the characters in Watchmen are more than just characters, they are embodiments of what makes people as a society so fragile and psychologically complex. The symbols of Watchmen are unparalleled in terms of its execution (there are so many spoilers involved with the explication so it is wise to assume the default position of reading the novel if you have a chance). This is truly a masterpiece of the graphic novel and I would say to start off with this one.
(On a side note, there is a certain part of the novel where a certain member reveals a certain plan which my cousin replied was bollocks but I proved her wrong other wise.)
Akira... a perhaps forgotten series, though I could be wrong and if so prove me wrong, but still, a forgotten series because the movie was stellar but the manga was given a crappy finish because of the idiots at the Marvel-branched publisher known as Epic, was given a great start but a crappy finish, so crappy in fact after they commissioned Katsuhiro Otomo to rewrite the ending to dumb down for western audiences, he ironically never finished it and the publisher never finished the series, until Dark Horse brought it back from the grave in 2000 with the original unedited series, collected in all six volumes. Now Akira never seemed to be that impressive to new anime fans because they have all of this shit to watch. Naruto is some entertaining crap, but bleach is better and those who watch the "better stuff" are more of the diehard core fans. But Akira on the other hand is the work that challenged manga and gave them something different. Realism in manga, though not as influential as Watchmen, it is still considered by some as the Watchmen of Japan.
Akira, the 2500-page epic, surrounding the threat of psychics in war where a child named Akira had "exploded over Tokyo" and started World War 3. This work is truly deserves to be the greatest manga, because it traps the nuances of all manga and like Watchmen, turns it towards a realistic direction. The breakage of tradition in Akira shows no fluffy little characters with big oversized but sute eyes, not women with big breasts which the Japanese are known for, it is a landmark of realism which drove readers to Kodansha in Japan when Akira was truly big. The mainstream press in Japan raved about this for weeks about the release of a manga which embodies all of the history in which Japan has gone through. The characters are also psychologically stirring, not complex, but portrayed realistically from the point of view of the J.D. (juvenile delinquent). Kaneda, the chivalrous and yet punk-like person who symbolizes the reconstruction of man and the second chance, Tetsuo, whose oppressed character with his inferiority complex drive him to the ends of sanity for power and greatness, kei the medium who channels both spiritual and metaphysical power, representing the passage of the spirit through the body (maybe?), and so many other characters that it is impossible to contain the chaos and power that humans regress to in the deconstruction of civilization. The will to power, political and spiritual corruption, and the anthropology of human beings in its most native and primitive human form are implied in this manga. If viewers of the movie were impressed, then read the manga to explore the world that was so lost by the hands of Epic comics and its irresponsibility in handling the creator freedom and expression.
I believe that Watchmen, as I had said before, is a great story full of realism and complexity that it should be regarded as a work of literature. Akira is a great manga packed full of power and majesty which breaks the conventions of its medium and projects itself as a crown jewel of manga. Give Akira a chance and for those who have watched the movie, read the graphic novel of Watchmen, as both are ground breaking in thier own mediums but are truly a masterpieces. Moore/Gibbons and Otomo, deserve more than my gratitude, they deserve my praise and apologies on behalf of those who do not respect you mediums enough... (obsessibe much, lol?).
Anyway, sry for the redundancies, just wanted to get my thoughts out.
Akira is perhaps regarded on the other side of the spectrum as the crown jewel of manga (though this is debatable), breaking most existing conventions in manga and was critically recieved by critics in Japan and was considered by Time magazine as an epic in the manga industry.
Sadly Akira got off to a bad start, comic-wise because a little publisher owned by Marvel at the time, known as Epic Comics, had made the series start off great, but had it dumbed down for western audiences, yet Watchmen went untouched in japan and was for the time being considered on par with Akira. From what I see in the Manga community, of todays new age Manga, it is a little underrated because of the credit that is so sadly was denied by the new crowd of manga lovers, because I have to say if it were not for that movie, manga would not have been introduced for the second time and would not have been as popular today. But without further ado, may i present my reason for loving these series.
Now I did not write this thread to point out which one is better, but rather what makes them so good. My personal opinion should not reflect that of others unless they have a concurring or a dissenting opinion.
Watchmen is a comic work of unparalleled vision in which it takes all of the nuances of the superhero, and reroutes it towards the real world, comparing the validity of superheroes to the threats of nuclear attack and political deconstruction. The ending and spoilers of Watchmen will blow those who have never read it or any other graphic novel, but all I have to say it that it breaks the conventions of what lengths a superhero would go through to save the world. The realism in Watchmen is greatly justified by what world it attempts to parallel, ours. The comparison are so subtle and yet so pristine it tend to make readers completely think what if for the entire duration of the reading of the graphic novel, or at least that is what I rationalized. Dr. Manhattan as the uninterfering God, The Comedian as the corrupt government agent and the evils of super-heroism, Nite Owl II as the disgraced follower, the Silk Spectre II as the embodiment of the bystander in a world of potential freedom and surpression, Ozzymandias as the true Superman, a master of the intellectual thinker and follower of the greater good, and Rorschach, the symbol of republican morality and application in a corrupt world and the embodiment of those who have a strict view on the world as having a truly black and white discernibility. All of the characters in Watchmen are more than just characters, they are embodiments of what makes people as a society so fragile and psychologically complex. The symbols of Watchmen are unparalleled in terms of its execution (there are so many spoilers involved with the explication so it is wise to assume the default position of reading the novel if you have a chance). This is truly a masterpiece of the graphic novel and I would say to start off with this one.
(On a side note, there is a certain part of the novel where a certain member reveals a certain plan which my cousin replied was bollocks but I proved her wrong other wise.)
Akira... a perhaps forgotten series, though I could be wrong and if so prove me wrong, but still, a forgotten series because the movie was stellar but the manga was given a crappy finish because of the idiots at the Marvel-branched publisher known as Epic, was given a great start but a crappy finish, so crappy in fact after they commissioned Katsuhiro Otomo to rewrite the ending to dumb down for western audiences, he ironically never finished it and the publisher never finished the series, until Dark Horse brought it back from the grave in 2000 with the original unedited series, collected in all six volumes. Now Akira never seemed to be that impressive to new anime fans because they have all of this shit to watch. Naruto is some entertaining crap, but bleach is better and those who watch the "better stuff" are more of the diehard core fans. But Akira on the other hand is the work that challenged manga and gave them something different. Realism in manga, though not as influential as Watchmen, it is still considered by some as the Watchmen of Japan.
Akira, the 2500-page epic, surrounding the threat of psychics in war where a child named Akira had "exploded over Tokyo" and started World War 3. This work is truly deserves to be the greatest manga, because it traps the nuances of all manga and like Watchmen, turns it towards a realistic direction. The breakage of tradition in Akira shows no fluffy little characters with big oversized but sute eyes, not women with big breasts which the Japanese are known for, it is a landmark of realism which drove readers to Kodansha in Japan when Akira was truly big. The mainstream press in Japan raved about this for weeks about the release of a manga which embodies all of the history in which Japan has gone through. The characters are also psychologically stirring, not complex, but portrayed realistically from the point of view of the J.D. (juvenile delinquent). Kaneda, the chivalrous and yet punk-like person who symbolizes the reconstruction of man and the second chance, Tetsuo, whose oppressed character with his inferiority complex drive him to the ends of sanity for power and greatness, kei the medium who channels both spiritual and metaphysical power, representing the passage of the spirit through the body (maybe?), and so many other characters that it is impossible to contain the chaos and power that humans regress to in the deconstruction of civilization. The will to power, political and spiritual corruption, and the anthropology of human beings in its most native and primitive human form are implied in this manga. If viewers of the movie were impressed, then read the manga to explore the world that was so lost by the hands of Epic comics and its irresponsibility in handling the creator freedom and expression.
I believe that Watchmen, as I had said before, is a great story full of realism and complexity that it should be regarded as a work of literature. Akira is a great manga packed full of power and majesty which breaks the conventions of its medium and projects itself as a crown jewel of manga. Give Akira a chance and for those who have watched the movie, read the graphic novel of Watchmen, as both are ground breaking in thier own mediums but are truly a masterpieces. Moore/Gibbons and Otomo, deserve more than my gratitude, they deserve my praise and apologies on behalf of those who do not respect you mediums enough... (obsessibe much, lol?).
Anyway, sry for the redundancies, just wanted to get my thoughts out.
