Masa's Manga Review #1: Black Cat
Black Cat
You've probably heard of the disasterous anime, but the manga is actually awesome!
Summary: Train Heartnet is the most lethal and feared killer in the world, Number XIII, the Black Cat. Working for the shadowy Chronos organization, the Black Cat becomes the object of desire for one of his co-workers, the batshit insane Creed Diskenth.
One day Train meets a mysterious young girl who is a Sweeper, a bounty hunter who makes sure never to kill. As they spend more time together, Train becomes unsure of his position as a killer and begins to contemplate leaving Chronos. However, at the same time Creed is plotting a earth-shaking movement, and his obsession for Train makes him unstable and even more dangerous.
Things quickly spiral out of control. But in the end Train has the chance to start anew as a Sweeper.
A story about second chances, human nature, and kick-ass gun battles.
Masa's Review:
The Black Cat anime sucked, sucked bad, even though it started out fairly well. Curious, I picked up the manga and was amazed at its depth, character and beauty. This manga does an excellent job balancing humor and action, and both are delivered through beautiful manga medium.
Story: (9/10) Themes may remind people of Kenshin, but the story is rich and detailed, giving time and attention to the awesome side-characters while progressing the main plot. The conflict between Train and Creed is a little creepy, but I like that. The arcs within the manga often have pretty good stories themselves.
Note: The manga starts at a point after some events in the summary, but they're all covered in flashback chapters (which kick assbtw)
Characters: Ususually I'd put this with plot, but Black Cat stands out because of the number of characters and how well they're all presented. You come to get a real understanding for them, and their interactions are great.
I love Creed because I'm a sucker for absolutely insane, sword-wielding villains... Sven and Eve also have excellent characters, and their interactions with Train almost always provoke a reaction in the reader. (10/10).
Drawing: I think it's frickin high quality stuff. You decide for yourself.
Status: 24 chapters and still going.
Masa's Overall Score: 9 out of 10.
Source: Where else but At Manga Traders!?
The group scanlating it there is quite good. Accurate, thorough translation and nice scans.
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