Not as small as you might believe.
Creative Staff
Writer/Artist: Inui Sekihiko
Translation: Adrienne Beck
Adaptation: Bryce Coleman
What They Say
Shuto Katsuragi is a superhero otaku. Only problem is, he’s too short and always getting teased for his height…especially when he tries to emulate his favorite superhero! To make matters worse, Shuto suddenly gets abducted and tricked into participating in some rather sketchy and super-villainous experiments! What’s a shrimp to do when his dreams come true in ways he never expected?
The Review:
Content:
Shugo Katsuragi is a 15-year-old with one clear dream in his life: become a real hero. With Japan currently in a huge hero boom, superheroes are popping up everywhere, giving the young hero aficionado hope that his dream could really come true (though his small stature and his tendency to snap when anyone points it out could be points of concern.) At school, he’s mostly looked down upon due to his hero obsession, but things are starting to look up, as he’s starting to become close to the somewhat detached beauty known as Mirea Mizushima (though his day takes a turn for the worse, as he later needs to be rescued by his upperclassman, a girl by the name of Rio Kizaki, and is even mistaken for an elementary school kid in the process.) On his way home from school, he runs into what appear to be evil minions (though when he first finds them, they’re playing with kittens) and is kidnapped by them.
With a fantastic cast of characters, including the silent yet absolutely hilarious Jackies, and a surprisingly interesting set-up, this series is definitely one to watch out for. The line between heroes and villains is surprisingly grey even in this opening volume, the character of Ratman is actually a rather cool and intriguing design, and even the romantic interests for Shugo seem uncertain yet interesting, each in their own unique way. While this probably wasn’t a title on most people’s radars, it certainly should be; with surprisingly solid jokes that had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions, characters with a surprising amount of depth and possibilities to them, and at least a few designs that are strikingly well done, this is a series that I have no problem recommending.
Content Grade: a-
Art Grade: b+
Packaging Grade: b+
Text/Translation Grade: b-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: TOKYOPOP
Release Date: April 27th, 2010
MSRP: $10.99
