Ranked #10000

Gun Blaze West (Manga)

Gun Blaze West is a typical shounen manga. Determined protagonist? Check. A goal to be the best? Check. Semi-tragic death in childhood that motivates protagonist to reach goal even more? Check. Undeniable shounen manga fun? Check.

Gun Blaze West's story ultimately falls short of its potential. Sure it lacks originality, but it's still solid to say at the least. The first few chapters will remind avid shounen readers of One Piece, Naruto, you name it. The only thing that separates Gun Blaze West from other shounen manga is its western theme. Anyway, the story is fine, even if it isn't original, but the problem is that the manga itself was cancelled before it really had a chance to go anywhere. It could've easily turned into a long-running shounen manga. When you finish reading it, you're going to feel cheated.

I, for one, am not a big fan of the art style. The art is good, yes, but I simply just don't like it that much. I prefer Rurouni Kenshin's art style (same manga-ka). Even though I'm not a fan of the art style, there's not denying that everything is drawn well. The action scenes are stylish, the characters are well-proportioned, and nothing looks odd or out of place.

I find it a bit difficult to judge the characters. The three main characters are likeable, but becuase the manga is only three volumes long, they don't have a chance to develop very well. During the short duration of the manga, however, you're still able to get a feel for the characters.

There's no denying that Gun Blaze West is fun. Sure, it lacks originality, but that doesn't stop you from wanting to read all three volumes. Unforunately, it ends when you don't want it to, and it never really gets a chance to take off completely. In spite of this, it's just as enjoyable as a lot of other shounen manga.

It's really unfortunate that Gun Blaze West was cancelled. It could've become something semi-special, but it simply never had the chance to do so. Manga doesn't come cheap, obviously, so it can make one wonder if this manga is worth spending $30 on the three volumes. So you're probably wondering, "Is it worth spending that much money on it?" And in my opinion, that depends. If you love Nobuhiro's works and/or shounen manga like this are your favorite kind of manga, then go for it. If not, proceed with caution. read more

It was a nice concept that they used with the West rather than go with your generic Japanese setting. A goal is enough to power someone's life. The very same can be said about this story. Gun Blaze West focuses on only one true path. It may have been a short series with a disappointing discontinued ending but Gun Blaze West forever takes us to the place we've always dreamt of going to. And it gives us a strong realization to embrace our goals. One that is as strong as that of the main character's, Viu Bannes.