NoaIzumiManga Review: Grey
November 13th 2008 14:30
Cover of first volume
In Earth society of the future, humans are divided into “People” and “Citizens”. Grey is one of the People, living day-to-day in the slums of the Towns. The only way to make Citizen, and live in the luxury of the City, is to become a Trooper, one of the soldiers fighting in the continual war between the Towns. After his lover is killed, Grey becomes a Trooper, and quickly earns the name, “Grey Death”. But when a friend goes missing, Grey risks his trooper status to find him, and comes face to face with the secret of the Towns and their controlling master computer, Mama.
Grey is a manga in the military genre, in the same vein as Area 88 and Armored Trooper Votoms, with some elements seen later in The Matrix as well. The story is rather sparse, but involved, with lots of well-done mecha battles. Grey’s journey is an interesting one, with little hints dropped at first about this world’s backstory, then the whole revelation in the second volume.
A warning for those who are easily depressed, this is a downer story. Grey earns his name, and not just for his fighting skills. He befriends a number of people along the way, but by the end, all of them have been cut down in battle, and Grey stands victorious, but alone, and facing an uncertain future.
The mechas deserve a mention here, because there is a very nice variety. Weapons range from WWII era tanks, to modern fighter planes, to several types of fighting robot. (I can just picture the artist at his desk, dreaming ever stranger designs. The floating fortress in the shape of an Easter Island statue is probably the most inspired.) Those designs are probably the best part of the book.
I just wish it had more to it. The 2 volumes tell the story nicely, but there was more story to be told. It could have had more on Grey’s backstory, how he and Lips first met, where Nova came from, the life of a trooper, etc. And it would have allowed the revelation to be a little slower, a little more elegant. Some clues are present in volume 1, but Grey figures it out by meeting the right person, and that person just tells him. It would have been nice to have him come partway to the conclusion on his own. This series could have easily added an extra volume without making it too long or boring.
The manga was made into a movie, Grey: Digital Target, which has a slightly more hopeful tone (one person aside from Grey survives) and more emotional depth. It was released on DVD, and is available on YouTube (in eight parts).
Favorite moments: Aside from the mecha, I liked the relationship between Grey and Nova. It’s a nice little subplot to the story (not to mention allowing the opportunity for some good fan service) and that was one area where I definitely would have liked to have seen more development.
Summary: Good story, excellent artwork on the machines, could have been longer. Grade: B plus.
Cover of the second volume
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