NoaIzumiManga Review: Heat Guy J
January 30th 2009 01:43
Manga Cover
Heat Guy J (J for short) is an android in the city of Judoh, and he and his human partner Daisuke (Dice for short) are part of the Special Crimes Unit, protecting the citizens from hi-tech criminals and the Judoh mafia. But unknown to the police, the mafia has a new ally, a lady scientist who’s built a robot capable of defeating J.
This is the manga version of the brilliant anime about a boy and his robot . Most of the characters from the anime are here, including Kyoko, the administrative assistant for Dice and J; Antonia, J’s creator; Shun, Dice’s brother and boss; Edmundo, the tired police detective; and Monica, the oh-so-cute-and-ruthless capitalist photographer.
The story parallels the anime at first, with the introductory episode and the one about the serial bomber generally being the same as their animated counterparts. Then the manga diverges with the introduction of a manga-only character, Trinity, a sexy robot maker who’s sort of like the evil twin of Antonia. The manga climaxes with a fight between J and one of her creations.
Like the anime, the Heat Guy J manga is excellent. All the characters, including the bad guys, are their usual unique selves, and the stories are well-done, with plenty of action. The only problem is the length. Only one volume was ever published, concurrent with the release of the anime. And the manga isn’t a one-shot, it sets up a couple of story arcs that are left unresolved at the end. At least it doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger.
In partial compensation, the manga has extras, including character profiles, an interview with the anime director, and background info, which are really worth seeing.
One more thing to mention about the book: there is more fan service in this 200 page manga than was present in the whole 26 episode animated series. So if you were disappointed in the relative lack of bikini-clad babes (and boys) in the series, by all means, check this out.
Great moments: The J-Grendel smack down! With the pool party a close second, just for the image of J in a black speedo (don’t give me that look; he actually carries it better than you’d think).
Summary: Great plot-driven action. Points off for being unfinished, but it’s an excellent supplement to the anime.
Age rating: 14 and up. Some of the fan service is pretty risqué.
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