Ranked #1194

Arakawa Under the Bridge (Manga)

What do you get when you put an overly competent individual together with an alien, a kappa, a star (no pun intended), a nun, a critic, a klutz, and all sorts of mental ward escapees (eccentrics) under the bridge?

a.) You get a nonsensical /slash/ somewhat enlightening escapade.
b.) You get a manga abbreviated as AUTB to read later.
c.) You get to profit.
d.) You get nothing whatsoever.

If your answer is A; keep it up, you’re reading from right-to-left just fine.
If your answer is B; OMG! What have you been reading all this time?
If its C; you must be Hikaru Nakamura. Sign (here) please.
If its D; not even a giggle? Keep reading below.

When Hikaru Nakamura first conceived the characters she would later on use for the series we now know as AUTB, the story was very much a mystery to everybody; the mangaka—herself—included. In a sense, even it would be an understatement to say that this series is so random it is just laughable. There’s probably no greater praise one could say about a gag manga which primary intent is to amuse its readers and evoke laughter; if only this series was just any typical, mindless fun kind of manga. And apparently so for this slice of life, gag series involving nutcases, every bit of random senselessness actually makes perfect sense.

Regarding its genre, the situational jokes may be decent, clichéd variations, at best. It may or may not make you laugh at times. But that is not to say humor isn’t the strong suit of the series, of course. Anyhow, human-connection is the central theme that bridges the gap between comicality and sincerity; the linchpin which makes this s-o-l, gag-oriented series work wonders. Take the first [i]romantic[/i] encounter between the two main characters for instance; how absurdly realistic they’re depicted, such as two strangers becoming lovers without so much as a proper introduction. It’s all too familiar it’s ridiculous. Sure, it never happens in actuality—not with the ultimate soteriophobe and his abalienated savior—but sure it does; rushing into a relationship for all the wrong, selfish reasons. Oh, the hilarity! You don’t even begin to imagine the gravity—how serious it truly was: way more than it seemed.

Speaking of romance, don’t confuse it as part of some running joke. It may seem that way at first, but considering it rooted from the obligatory act of repaying a life-worth debt, it was, in fact, implanted that way to grow (perhaps even last a lifetime). And that’s the gist of it.

In hindsight, whoever really knew or even knows what love is!? When two very desperate individual came knocking at each other’s doors, subconsciously seeking it; not knowing precisely what they were looking for, all there ever was for them to find were each other. And while I wouldn’t be so preposterous as to say they’ve already found what they’ve been looking for all along, they definitely gained something invaluable.

At any rate, before jumping to conclusions concerning the plot or lack thereof—this is the part where the protagonist casually shows up, meets the heroine, and sets everything into motion. Call it plot device, serendipity, or whatever. He became the one constant (joke that is) in this series that’s ever so full of (characters with mental) inconsistencies. Quite satirical, if not clever to say the least, that he turned into a walking contradiction the same moment the rest has remained true to those irregularities—from the get-go. With that said, the real question really shouldn’t be about whether or not AUTB have a static or progressive plot; rather whether everyone is actually who they seem to be—insane, delusional whacks—or not. Who or what, so to speak, really is crazy?

At the end of the day however, it all comes down to two storylines which have been entwined yet, time and again, still unravels. The first half being Kou Ichinomiya’s side of the story as it tells about his new found life under the bridge as the resident voice of reason—Recruit, aka Riku(ruuto) for short. Meeting all sorts of lunatics all the while being pulled-in and constantly subjected to everyone’s compulsions; his world turned upside down—realizing that there’s more to life than adhering to the norms and expectations of others, and ultimately coming to terms with his past.

The focus then shifts to the other, better half—the resident Venusian and Riku’s savior-turned-lover, Nino-san. To say Nino is a mystery is an understatement. She’s weird, she’s nuts, and she knows astronomy like the back of her hand. She has the uncanny ability to read people’s signals or any other for that matter. She can remain underwater for extended periods of time without any oxygen tanks. What is she?

To clarify, nobody is doing a terrible impersonation of "The Riddler" here. I’m posing a more than valid enough question to sum up this write up for the time being. There’s actually more to that question where it came from, but that will have to do for now, so as not to spoil much of anything for anyone.


"A uncommon review for a uncommon manga series." read more

[Review written for lazy people like myself who can't be bothered reading long ones]

Arakawa Under The Bridge is possibly the only gag manga I can actually stand. Instead of just seeming stupid and pointless, I actually find it funny and smart.

Each chapter is short and ends quirkly with a joke, so if you only have time for around 5 pages you'll still get enjoyment out of it.

The characters are extremly likeable, each one has a story behind them. If you are a fan of the anime you will really appreciate seeing more of their back stories like I did. Even though this is a gag manga my throat has swelled up more than once during reading.

The art isn't as good as many other manga artists, but I think the style suits the story. The managaka is also very likeable, all her commentaries and extras amuse me.

Overall, this is an amazing manga and if you're consdering reading it; DO IT. read more