Post by Slinky on Dec 14, 2008 4:40:11 GMT -5
I’m really not too sure why I haven’t spoken out with this one sooner. Ginga is one of the most original manga’s you’ll ever have the pleasure of reading. Because it’s all about dogs!
Over view
Ginga’s style is easy on the eyes. The character’s are about as 3-D as one can get ( even the minor character’s have a backing story!) And hey, it’s about dogs folks. Weed is the third in the Ginga trilogy (Riki and Nagareboshi Gin the first and second respectively ) And each story is interlinked with old and many new furry faces. So this means the Ginga plot is very long, and very, very complicated so stick around for the long run. I would honestly recommend this to anyone with a lot of money, fluent in Japanese and has a love for old school manga.
Manga Plot ( very small summary )
The story kicks off when a small Akita inu’s mother is ill and dying. An English setter, GB, gives the pup some food for his dying mother, who in return, asks GB to protect her son when she dies. GB names the pup ‘Weed’ because a weed is a strong and thriving plant, so that means the pup must grow up to be big and strong after his name sake. In her dying wish, Weed’s mother also asks for Weed to be taken to his father. Gin, the legendary savour of the dog Utopia, Ohu. However when GB and Weed reach Ohu, the peace has been destroyed.
This then branches off into many small sub plots. Kaibutsu is the laboratory dog that first apposes them. Hougen is the biggest plotline in the story. However there is also a monkey invasion ( much like NG’s wolf invasion ) and then another dog invasion in Hokkaido. The series is spanned well over 50 graphic novels ( the last time I check this was over year ago, and only today I found out about the Hokkaido plot ) and really doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon...
VS
Anime vs Manga[/img]
The anime truly holds nothing against the manga. The graphics are very poor ( even worse than the NG adaptation, and that was made in the 1990s! ) and MY GOD I’m sorry, but they are really bad. I can’t point this out enough. The first and last episode graphics are amazing. But once we hit the second episode and up to the second to last episodes, it’s a downhill slide. They have taken the Kaibutsu and Hougen plot from the huge selection the manga offers, which was a smart move. A few differences in the anime is that Smith was present at Sakura’s( Weeds mother’s) death and Gin’s substitute protects Weed and dies in front of him by Kaibutsu, which totally did not happen at all in the manga. Jerome is also banished by Weed
And um, Mel’s mother didn’t even EXISTS in the anime –slaps writer’s wrists-
And did I say how awful the graphics were?
At one stage, apparently the subbing was going to be just dog barking. However the voice actors they picked were very talented ( especially Weeds )
Warnings
Possible one of the most graphic manga’s I’ve seen. These’s are not fluffy doggies. They also curse. Um. Alot XD
Characters
Okay. There are HUNDREDS of characters. Here’s... God, you can’t even have mainmain characters XD
Weed
Akita Inu/Bear Hound. Grandfather is Riki the founder of Ohu, father is the legendary Gin who took over Ohu from Riki. Weed is now the leader of Ohu. He also has two siblings, but they were separated at birth. He is very naive and innocent, but has a mean stubborn and reckless streak. He’s impossibly strong thanks to his bear hound blood and would die to protect his friends
GB
English Setter. Disowned by his master. Was a runner for the dog Nero, but left that life in order to protect his Godson Weed. He’s the biggest, most loveable coward ever, but he would protect Weed until the end
Kagetora and Ken
Kai-ken. He has tiger fur like Weed. He saves Weed from being attacked by Ken. He’s one of Weed’s closest allies. Father was a subordinate of Gin. His breed is well known for being pig headed. Ken once said that if you want to pick a friend, pick a Kai dog as a friend
A Great Dane and very strong and full hardy. He’s a close ally of Weeds. His mother and father were subordinates of Gin. A born leader, he’s a bit of a softie
Mel
Golden retriever. Weed rescues him from a gang of dogs who were using him to steal food. He’s ‘indebt’ to Weed who also reunited him with his mother. Now they are good friends and allies. A bit of a coward, he normally does the first thing in the end
Jerome
A German shepard who was trained to fight Kaibutsu if he ever escaped. He’s like an assassin. He is a key ally of Weeds and one of his closest friends. He sees the potential in Weed before anyone else. He is very loyal and would gladly die before anyone
Rocket
Russian greyhound. He’s well known for his great speed. He worked for Hougen, but had a change of heart when he meet Weed and saw his courage
Kyoshiro
Kishu. Leader of a pack of pups who were all abandoned by their parents. Weed recruits him for his amazing power and speed. He acts older than he is, which leads him to be very mature, but also act quite childish
Hiro
Great Pyrenees. Hiro saves Reika who in turns tells him how Hougen is holding Gin and the other hostage. Hiro rushes to save Gin. Shortly after he teams up with Weed. Hiro's special move is to rip off the testicals of other dogs.
Tesshin
Shikoku-ken. The son of Kurojaki of the Koga dogs. His father was a very famous cannibal in NG. He was called Chibi, but then changed his name. He teaches Weed the legendary Zetsu Tenrou Battouga then joins his team
Hougen
Great Dane. The main antagonist. Literally an insane, egotistic, power hungry mutt. He and his brother Genba were raised in an aboandoned kennel, only surviving by eating the other dogs. Once they escaped, they over threw Ohu and tortured Gin, John and Akame
YouTube
Hm Hmm, a very good AMV of the anime that describes the plot beautifully. The ‘paradise’ of Ohu from where the dogs have lived, has now been taken over by Hougen. The ‘gods’ that ‘staid behind’ are Gin, John and Ayame who fight for their lives for the peace. The ‘sacrifice’ of too many dogs because of him. They are ‘forsaken’.
You also get to hear a very lovely bit of voice acting from Weed near the end. I do love their voice for him [/sup]