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| Well, onto 21st century then! And I agree, this last arc wasn't as good. |
insan3Spectre said: VitaX said: After finishing this manga, the ending wasn't quite what I had pictured. Though it was satisfying to some degree. I'll post my thoughts below: My thoughts on 20th Century Boys: - The introduction of Friend (1997) and how he relates to Kenji in the beginning was amazing and thrilling. One of the best introductions of a manga if not the best out there. - Events up to "Bloody New Years Eve" (1997-2000) was done brilliantly. The 3 year time skip that showed how much the world had evolved and what happened to Kenji in that time period was awesome. And then going to face off against the robot on New Year's Eve was epic as well. I was a bit surprised this was done roughly 200 chapters before the end of the manga though because I had thought this was going to be the climax of the story. - The time skip (2000-2014) at first had me concerned with where the story was going. But when Friend was revealed to have won the bout with Kenji and his scheme made him the savior of the world things were bound to get interesting. 1997-2000 was the getting ready to fight arc if I have to give an explanation of it. The time skip was more psychological as it dealt with "Friends" past and what happened exactly in the past. Skeptical for a while until Otcho and Yoshitune turned up badass as ever. I liked how both character's evolved into something much greater. I wasn't sure how I was going to adjust to 50 year olds saving the world now but it was more epic then the previous arc "Bloody New Years Eve". The introductions of Sadakiyo and Yamane were done brilliantly. I wasn't sure about this virtual world of 1970 at first but it turned out to be very interesting. The hanging hill and science room bits were explained in greater detail later on which was great. A thing that annoyed me for a while though as it was never truly explained was what exactly happened on "Bloody New Years Eve". Yeah we got to hear some vague stories from Yoshitune, Maruo, Kenji, and Otcho but it wasn't enough to satisfy me. I'm most curious about the face-off between Fukubei and Kenji on the robots. The most we ever got to see of that was Kenji saying "You...but you're dead." I was hoping we'd get more details on that part later on but I guess not. The death of Fukubei was surprising to say the least. But when he appeared again and saved the Pope's life I had thought it was just another one of tricks but... - The next time skip (2015-2018 or Friend Year 1 - Friend Year 3) wasn't to me liking. Not quite sure why I didn't like it as much as the previous arc but to me it just wasn't as good. The whole "alien invasion" bit started to get annoying after a while. Not to mention Kenji was still nowhere to be found (I knew he'd pop up sooner or later but after going 140 chapters or so without him was starting to effect the story for me). I didn't like how they introduced a new character, the DJ, and that he was an old friend of Kenji. In my mind, I don't believe at this point of the story a new character needed to be added in. To me it felt there was too many characters to look after at this point and that it would start effecting the story. For me it did. I also thought it was unrealistic for Yanbo and Mabo to come back into the story and have designed the flying saucers for "Friend". Seemed ridiculous to me. It was a bit of a shock that the "Friend" now was not Fukubei, wasn't sure if I liked that or not. But it made for an even more interesting story now. When Kenji and "Friend" finally faced off, I wasn't too sure as to how it would play out. It wasn't exactly how I had imagined it would take place. Can't say for sure if I liked it or not. -Final scene being the reunion of Kanna and Kenji wasn't a bad place to end. I was somewhat disappointed that the final scene wasn't with Kiriko as well. Overall I give it about a 9.6/10. One of the best manga's I've read. Would give a perfect 10 but I just didn't like how the story kept getting more and more jam packed with characters and having their character's being built upon and not having a real conclusion for them. Pretty much exactly as VitaX stated. I enjoyed the evolution of Kanna, Otcho, and some of the others. But, Kenji's return just didn't sit well with me. I did like the "don't cry Kanna," scene at the end. But, it's funny, I find the lack of answers in this story unsettling. While, I thought it actually benefited Monster. Weird... I can't decide between a 9 or a 8. Because, I loved the first 150 or so chapters and just liked the past few chapters. I was gonna type something along those lines, but then you guys said exactly what I wanted. Up until around the bit with the Pope this was going to be my top manga ever, but it just lost its shone afterwards. |
| "Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov |
| Well, its been a great ride. And I agree with some of the users, the manga went a bit wayward in the last few volumes. The annoying recurrence of everyone miraculously coming back from death didn't get to my liking. Also the alien invasion thing was pretty dumb. A magnificent first 120+ chapters, then at around vol 14 the level of the manga slightly dipped. Still one of the best storytellings I've experienced for some time. I'm going to give this one a 8/10 for now. Depending upon how 21st CB wraps up the details, the score for this could rise to 9. |
Kagami_Hiiragi said: Idc if you think its weird, I have a life and friends and an income of money. |
| It was a nice trek, in the end went down a bit, no permanent deaths. A 9/10 |
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| Man, what an amazing manga. I don't even remember the last time I was engaged and immersed in a story like this. I just loved the intricate plot, and everything else. I found myself reading 6 volumes at one setting. I surprisingly found myself tearing up or getting emotional in certain scenes, which was a good sign for how believable some characters were. It's differently better than Monster. Monster doesn't hold a candle to it, in depth, level of details, plot twists and execution. Actually in literally everything (I don't think I ever even liked a character in Monster) and I certainly think Friend is a better antagonist than Johan. It was just more focused and handled the sub plots way better. I think the author is a great writer, he just have bad habits that I have noticed in both of his works. But that's just my opinion. Now the things I didn't like, was without a doubt the third part of the manga/the second time skip. Like many others in this thread, I really didn't like it. I thought it wasn't necessary how it dragged out stuff, and brought many new plot points and events, I personally couldn't care less about the sci fi aspect of the series and it just dimnised my interest because I was looking for a conclusion but things kept dragging, with new characters, that I simply can't like or be bothered with. I found myself skimming through certain chapters due to me being annoyed. I didn't like the handling of Kenji's character at all, he barely feels like the old Kenji, which might have been the point but I still didn't like it, and all that song crap. And Kana definitely have gotten worse in the second time skip imo. I mean I already didn't like her teenage self, but the second time skip, made me just flat out dislike her and find her annoying, I'm not saying she is a bad character, but I just couldn't sympathize with her. Kid Kana is best Kana, she was so adorable <3. Anyway, I can't bring myself to give this lower than 9. I feel like I can say it became one of my favorite manga, despite the latest portion of the story. The first 100+ chapters were just too good. 9/10 |
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| It was amazing, but it went downhill after the original Friend died. Up to that point, the timeline flowed well and I kept track of all the characters but afterwards when "Yabuki Joe" showed up, everything was everywhere and I got lost in the storytelling. Anyway, it was a great series and I'm gonna finish it by reading the sequel! Also, I still think Monster was better 8/10 as well. skyzblue said: Well, its been a great ride. And I agree with some of the users, the manga went a bit wayward in the last few volumes. The annoying recurrence of everyone miraculously coming back from death didn't get to my liking. Also the alien invasion thing was pretty dumb. A magnificent first 120+ chapters, then at around vol 14 the level of the manga slightly dipped. Still one of the best storytellings I've experienced for some time. I'm going to give this one a 8/10 for now. Depending upon how 21st CB wraps up the details, the score for this could rise to 9. Exactly my thoughts. |
VitaX said: I agree with most of your post except for this part. Im pretty sure Konchi was already mentioned, or at the very least if not directly mentioned he was present, in past flashbacks so it wasnt like he suddenly popped out of thin air. It also gave a nice connection between himself and Kana. And Urasawa couldnt have ended the manga without having yanbo and mabo reappear. Sure I'll agree that having those two design the saucers was ridiculous, theyre business men not engineers, but it was good to know what happened to them. Also maybe it was obvious that Kenji was still alive, but I honestly thought Kenji was dead. I didnt think he was coming back, so when I saw him I had this "wtf?" face.- The next time skip (2015-2018 or Friend Year 1 - Friend Year 3) wasn't to me liking. Not quite sure why I didn't like it as much as the previous arc but to me it just wasn't as good. The whole "alien invasion" bit started to get annoying after a while. Not to mention Kenji was still nowhere to be found (I knew he'd pop up sooner or later but after going 140 chapters or so without him was starting to effect the story for me). I didn't like how they introduced a new character, the DJ, and that he was an old friend of Kenji. In my mind, I don't believe at this point of the story a new character needed to be added in. To me it felt there was too many characters to look after at this point and that it would start effecting the story. For me it did. I also thought it was unrealistic for Yanbo and Mabo to come back into the story and have designed the flying saucers for "Friend". Seemed ridiculous to me. It was a bit of a shock that the "Friend" now was not Fukubei, wasn't sure if I liked that or not. But it made for an even more interesting story now. When Kenji and "Friend" finally faced off, I wasn't too sure as to how it would play out. It wasn't exactly how I had imagined it would take place. Can't say for sure if I liked it or not. |
| Wow, this was definitely worth it. Finished it in 3 days and no regrets. Phenomenal writing with interesting characters and a compelling story and appealing themes. 8/10. Time to read the sequel~ |
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| Need to read the sequel now |
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| This was a really cool series. I also appreciated all the nods to 1960s and 1970s culture |
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| Pretty good manga even though the virtual game thingy was kinda odd. It looked more like a time machine cuz it was so realistic. 21st century boys 8.5/10 Definitely on my top 10 there is a live action Fish Story for those who want a similar story |
| Fucking fantastic! The amount of effort & thought Urasawa put into this is praiseworthy. Unfortunately, there are some unanswered questions for me which prevent me from giving it a perfect score and calling it Urasawa's masterpiece. Otcho was my fave, and the close runner-up being Kanna. 9/10 |
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| Beautigul manga, full of mistery and with a plot that catch you. The ends is a little mild, and if i´m sincered, i wait more, but i read that continues in 21st Century boys, and this has made my happy. Recommended. 955/1000. |
| Not quite satisfied with the ending, feels a bit rushed but I guess I'll just read the sequel. Anw, it's a great manga, I'll give it a 9/10. |
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| Captivating like almost no other story and a great read overall,but it could've been even better if it weren't for the pacing issues and anticlimatic final. Despite these flaws I can't see myself giving this anything less than an 8/10. |
One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron |
| Way too many timeskips. I imagine this could've been amazing if they just stuck with the 1st timeline. |
| Even when I was in crowd, I was always alone |
| The End? Kanna doesn't even get to meet her mother? |
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| Ah an awesome end to a great manga. Im so happy Kanna and Kenji finally met again. |
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Saurian_X said: Ending has me conflicted but I think the journey was strong enough at least. I hope you realize that there a two more volumes after this and this isn't the ending. |
Exactly. It's not so much a "sequel" as it's the final two volumes, just with a different name. |
| Wow this manga was a masterpiece. Actually one of the best manga I've ever read. 10/10 |
 “Without love, it cannot be seen.” |
| that was a limp ending for an excellent manga, I guess everything will be cleared up in 21st century boys. My score is 9/10 It had its potholes here and there, but that's to be expected from a manga with over 200 chapters..... |
  Arteta's Tricky Reds!   |
| What a shitty ending. Most of the plot went nowhere, the series itself took a turn from conspiracy to surreal and the whole of humanity was really stupid. The replacement of Friend being in a sequel doesn´t make it any better, and neither Kenji or Fukubei were interesting in the end. The first 50 chapters were the best, but after the first timeskip it became "Plot convenience: the manga". The Friend era just didn´t make any kind of sense. For being "The Magnum Opus" of Urasawa, this was really, heavily flawed. Also, Friend going from a mysterious politician to an obsessed child filled with jealosy was terrible. Even worse when they switched the dude for a nihilistic idiot. |
| I don't know where else to say this. But fucking finally!!!! They changed the entry volume cover from vol 5 to the original vol 1. God bless 🙏🙏🙏 |
| Exactly the ending that was to be expected since a tome or two. The intrigue is resolved very rapidly, and many things are left unexplained, wich is potentially better than weird half-baked justifications. I don't mind, because it's a thriller and the goal was simply to entertain for its course, but it still barely feels like an end. 3/5 Overall: Good suspense juggling past and present, with a great look at childhood and appealing characters (à la It). The change in hero for the second era was unfortunate but it partly recovered later, but ultimately the day-to-day writing (extending the group of comrades, resurfacing of others at weird positions, etc) & constant streak of turnabouts started to be exhausting in the last volumes (the third era, under Ami/Friend/Tomodachi's full reign). Visually excellent, a nice implementation of humour (wich was most needed given the length and dramatic stakes the plot ended up playing), and most importantly an exciting and at times moving ride. Score: 8/10 Enjoyment: 4~5 Opening the 21th Century Boys book is almost scary. Imagine it's an epilogue featuring a second, worst, conclusion? |
Rei_IIIMay 15, 2022 9:02 AM
| The game is over but it doesn't mean everything is done. Damn, didn't expect that cliffhanger. That's one of the reasons why I can't call this an ending :) No gutalala sudalala in the concert :(. Page 24 was perfect tho! |
DefeatingMeMay 17, 2022 7:57 AM
| Still the best shit. Re-read the second time gives me a better insight on the story, and what Urasawa tried to convey. "This is all a child play" Where Kenji's group grows up, Fukube's group does not. They are still children in adult body. That explains the reason why how absurd, ridiculous and childish of these plans are. I will give this manga a 10/10, a masterpiece. |
| wait whaaaat,,, that was the ending???? i dont even know what to say. i have so many conflicting feelings rn. i loved the beginning and middle of this series, but idk i stopped enjoying this series as much as i used to and then around vol 20 i really truly stopped vibing w this series. it just wasn't feeling as good as it was near the beginning. the ending made me sad (though im happy that kenji and kanna + everyone else reunited) - for such a long series i was expecting a more satisfying ending. this was a strong 10/10 for me for a while but the last few volumes were overall disappointing and honestly boring to read. i liked seeing all the flashbacks/scenes of them as kids and i loved kenji's group of friends, but this cast of characters started getting way too big at some point. so many things were dragged out , and i get the strange feeling that i'm forgetting some important plot lines,,, i am reading the character wikis online currently and i feel rlly dumb for forgetting so much stuff but at the same time like how am i supposed to remember when there's 50 million things happening in between of me questioning a scene and me receiving an answer to that scene. aaa, kinda depressing that my frustrations are overshadowing what i loved about this manga. i'm estimating that this manga started falling off for me around when the friendship era began? i think? pretty much everything before that was so fun to read. i loved seeing the boys as kids and i loved when scenes were shown from different POVs (like hanging hill from kenji's POV and then fukube's POV later on, which answered my question as to who was standing behind the teru teru bozu). when they were first introducing the characters post-timeskip i was so hyped -- like the plot of otcho at the prison,, i really enjoyed reading that. i like koizumi's character as well. i'm forgetting a lot about sadakiyo because it's been a while since i read the story of him post timeskip (and pre timeskip too honestly) but he is probably one of the boys who's really up there for me,, i liked him a lot -- tho the disrespect @ me forgetting so much about his character :-( aaaa reminiscing about this stuff is making me want to go back and read the first 15 or so volumes,, this is still definitely one of my favourite manga no matter how boring i found the last part,, i can't trash this manga for a frustrating ending because so much of it was so fun to read all in all i'm gonna miss reading this series but i'm happy to move on to something else. man it's been like 3 years for me , the series has been out for ages , i just took way to long to read this LMFAO uhhh but i seen there's a 21st century boys which i honestly had not planned on reading but now i feel like i neeeed to. maybe we'll get the satisfying ending we deserve???? |
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| What a ride this has been. Now that I have finished it I can see what a masterpiece this is. Definitely one of my favourite mangas. |
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