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Old 2011-08-07, 04:46   Link #1
Gooral
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: The town where Copernicus was born.
Age: 37
Desert Punk (Sunabozu)

Desert Punk (AKA Sunabōzu, Sunabouzu)
Author: Masatoshi Usune

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi, Seinen
Categories: Adapted to Anime, Antihero, Guns, Mercenary, Post-Apocalyptic

Summary (from Baka Updates):
Quote:
After a nuclear war turns most of the Earth into desert wastelands, surviving humans had used the sands in order to survive. One of them is a professional mercenary named Sunabozu, who makes a living by hiring himself out to anyone who needs his talents.
And this short summary was taken from Azunime:

Due to the cataclysm Earth has become a post-apocalyptic desert. On a great Kantō desert in Japan the life is particularly hard and people are mercilesly fighting for every glass of water. Among them there is a legendary mercenary called Sunabōzu - a fierce, demonic warrior as some say. Think of someone as resourceful and short as Edward Elric but twice as mean.
  • Characters here are truly great and escape schematics.
  • Lots of humour (not refined but college one).
  • Characters here use their brain not special powers.
  • There's more than meets the eye to this manga. At first glance it looks like a silly manga but you soon start to realize how well the world was constructed and how consistent it is.
  • Think of Trigun with more sexual content and fan-service.
  • Arms Peddler was clearly inspired by this manga.

============================

War... War never changes....

Since I've commented on a much, much, much worse manga (Arms Peddler) it would be a crime to not comment on one of the best manga I've read (and anime I've seen). I've become a fan of this title the moment I saw anime (which was in 2008) but unfortunately, until a while ago finding this manga in English was impossible. Anyway, below I'll try to explain why I consider it as one of my favourite titles (try since my English skills are far from good and sometimes you might read it as if it was done through Google translator).

Sunabōzu is a unique manga, interesting from start to finish and even though humour wasn't too refined (it was more of a college humour) I consider it as one of the most valuable reads I've had in my life as a manga reader. Paradoxically, despite it's often primitive jokes or out of the top behaviour (sometimes even cartoonish) of characters, there are not many manga that depict reality as well, even if it's in a setting almost completely unknown to us. The same goes for characters who we see as made from flesh and blood and not ink and paper. It's very rare to find characters such as these. Since the world they live in is more cruel than the one most of us know and here motto "survival of the fittest" is a fact and not just an empty slogan, characters behave very logically in such conditions. The main hero (and most of other characters that have at least half a brain) are pragmatist and/or opportunists. If there was a chance to screw someone over they don't miss it, if the opponent has an advantage they don't think twice about withdrawing. The latter action is something that most mangakas do not consider. Main hero would run ?! That's ridiculous. He can't. He must stand firmly and fight with his foes and surely he will defeat them because of sheer fighting spirit... Well, not in Desert Punk (but in Arms Peddler unfortunately yes). There is no honour here, no pardon, what matters are results and effectiveness. It reminds me of Fallout game (but not crappy Fallout 3 but Fallout 1 - godly game) and maybe that's why I've loved it so much. It also reminds me of Firefly (the best tv show ever) and I haven't found any cartoon/anime or other tv series that would get even close to it.
Even though the plot isn't very original, carrying it out is. Desert Punk surprises (in a good way) in every chapter. Often I had to pick up my jaw from the floor, even more often I laughed (my sense of humour isn't too refined :P) and sometimes my adrenaline level would rise. There are only few manga/anime that could trigger such reactions from me and even fewer that managed to maintain it from start to finish (Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Legend of Galactic Heroes, SPT Layzner, FMA, Urasawa's mangas, Romeo no Aoi Sora, Kemono no Souja Erin, Kaiji and that's about it). So if you're looking for a non-schematic, action manga, something that would allow you to relax and something you won't forget than this manga is for you.

Manga and anime are unfortunately very under-appreciated. This title has disappeared in tons of sh*t that floats around and are considered as masterpieces when they can't even compare to Desert Punk.
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Old 2011-08-09, 12:11   Link #2
Nixl
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Join Date: Sep 2009
I read through what I could find of Desert Punk and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. A good post-apocalyptic manga as you said. I would definitely place it alongside Fist of the North Star as good post-apocalyptic manga. I'll check out the anime when I can. Thanks Gooral.
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Old 2011-08-09, 16:50   Link #3
frubam
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I have all the anime episodes, it was very enjoyable indeed (^,^)! In all my years, never have I watched an anti-hero char as shrewd, cunning, AND intelligent as Kanta with one exception(Aiki's Joukyuu). It's very refreshing.

Does the manga past the point of the end of the anime? I'd like to see more of
Spoiler for end anime spoilers:
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Old 2011-08-11, 11:55   Link #4
haegar
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I took this up and atm am at about p240ish which is end of first chap vol2. It certainly is quite eintertaining. I don't see why to appologize for the "college" humor, I laughed my ass of quite frequently. Despite the fact that it is true that logic of fights, and of "human nature" is lifelike and feels "real" I still consider it much more a comedy than a serious dark post apocalyptic manga. The artstyle might seem simplistic and unrefined to some at first but fits the setting rather well, although it is a farcry from the afore mentioned Arms peddler in both elegance and level of detail. I do appreciate the many little plot turns and twist that always suprise me as much as the hero - who is indeed refreshingly atypical compared to your average nakama-punch-em all shounen winner-by-default It has a very nice irony that often is tied to the main char.

I still wouldn't go and compare it with Arms Peddler overly much. Yeah, same setting in the dark future desert, yeah both are labeled "Seinen" but the way these two mangas make use of that setting is rather different I feel. It is true that Arms Peddler would be all the better if it HAD this one's level of "realism" of character action and human evilness and backstabbin - especially in the dark setting both play in. But all in all, to me manga have pros and cons on more than one level and in the end those balance out somehow. So for me, Arms Peddler isn't the "worse" manga, or an unduely hyped one, just because it so happens that it lacks that level of realism this one has. It has other strengths this one lacks, art, some characters that are waaay cool even though maybe their actions and motivations arent as meticolously draften on realism as this one ...

For the time being I'll enjoy finishing the manga and am looking forward to watchin the anime, though that will have to wait some time (soo much to read and watch out there )
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Old 2011-08-13, 05:14   Link #5
Gooral
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Age: 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by frubam View Post
Does the manga past the point of the end of the anime?
Yes it does. Anime covers about 12 volumes and 14 volumes have been released so far (it's still ongoing). Manga had a 4 year hiatus but now it's back and hopefully it will be ended nicely when the right time comes.
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Old 2013-03-13, 04:00   Link #6
Gooral
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: The town where Copernicus was born.
Age: 37
Great news !!!

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...-after-3-years
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Old 2013-03-13, 04:31   Link #7
Om Nerabdator
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now if only someone would scanlate it
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Old 2013-03-13, 08:06   Link #8
haegar
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Join Date: Jun 2009
well still good news and eventually somebody will do just that
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comedy, ecchi, firearms, post-apocalyptic, seinen

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