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荒川アンダーザブリッジ
410
15
Finished
Dec 3, 2004 to Jul 3, 2015
7.5/10
Average Review Score
75%
Recommend It
4
Reviews Worldwide
Having read the entire manga and watched the anime, I am so glad I chose to read and see both on a whim, a manner very like this work. That is not to say that I don't recommend it, quite the opposite. In fact, this is perhaps my favorite comedy based manga out there because it's so "out there." Arakawa Under the Bridge to me is like Monty Python's Flying Circus with its random, absurdist humor. But I believe it's so much more, it shows the fragility of how humans act in accordance with one another and how love and friendship can heal all wounds.I know it sounds cheesy putting it those terms, but it's true. The characters are all zany in their own way and they are brilliantly written and interwoven as foils for each other. The art isn't the best, but it suits the style of the characters written. I truly don't know if this manga is for everyone, but I sure know that I was laughing out loud for minutes on end in many scenes. I really don't want to give anything away, but just to serve as a recommendation that this manga won't disappoint as the chapters are short and the arcs are funny as they are inane in concept. It's not all humor based but the romance is tame, cute, and heartwarming with a fulfilling ending. So if you have some time, this manga will go quickly and leave you laughing and hoping for more!
Twenty-year-old student Kou Ichinomiya has always followed his elite family's motto: never be indebted to anyone. However, an unfortunate situation puts his life in danger, and he is saved by a stranger named Nino, who claims to be from Venus. As if owing someone is not bad enough, the peculiar girl wishes that he repay her deed by experiencing love together—and he must live with her under the Arakawa River bridge. Although Kou figures that he will somehow fulfill this obligation, his plans are blown away by Nino's friends: various riverside residents who seem even more eccentric than his new lover. From the Village Chief who gives Kou a new name, "Recruit," to a gentle-looking but sadistic woman managing an animal farm, one can never tell which outlandish character will next color Arakawa's bizarre life under the bridge. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Does some things right. Very unique style of comedy that may not be for everyone, but I liked it enough. Interesting enough characters. Issue for me was the end. Throughout course of the manga there were hints of a much more sinister reality underneath the cheery facade. Unfortunately this whole plotline which makes up most of the final volume was rushed, underdeveloped, tonally confusing due to the lack of isolation from the comedy parts and lack of development, and thematically dry. Not a lot of good character development takes place and the ending leaves a lot of loose ends and dissatisfaction. Some people might sayit adds to the surreal appeal but for me it just left a sour taste in my mouth. I would have enjoyed this manga much more if they made it a pure wacky slice of life comedy instead of halfassing some overarching plotline. I'll give it a seven for the good times I did have with it
TL:DR Good comedy with fun characters but a weirdly serious ending that it a major departure from the tone of the rest of the serious that sours the end of the manga. I recommend this if you can ignore that - you don't come to gag manga for a great plot anyway. Story: 6/10 The manga is mostly episodic with each chapter being centred around a funny situation. There is some continuity with scenarios influenced by previous events. The manga slowly adds more characters and shows different sides of other characters so it never feels stale. Overall, it's a good comedy. Despite being tagged as romance on MAL, it'snot a particularly sappy manga, they don't expect any emotional scenes. There is a mystery around Nino that stays in the background for the most part until the end of the manga. After hundreds of chapters of being dumb fun, it decides to really dig into the mystery. The last 10% of the manga tries to be serious but also not that serious, it takes it self seriously enough that it's not funny but there's enough silliness that I can't get invested in it. It makes for a really weird tone where it feels like the author can't get away from the tone they've already set and it doesn't work. it's not a great ending, it comes a bit out of nowhere and it rushes through some super dramatic backstory that's only been hinted at until then. It's takes up a noticeable chunk of the manga and it sours the ending. However, I didn't really expect a great ending from a gag manga and that section is short enough that I don't think the ending ‘ruins’ the manga or anything. I mean, did you read the synopsis and expect Shakespeare? Characters: 8/10 All the the characters are likeable and have their own central gag. Kou is my favourite character. In any other manga, he would be a Mary Sue: the handsome, rich CEO of a successful company that's great at anything he applies himself to. And he's humbled down by being the only normal(ish) person surrounded by utter lunatics who don't care about any of that. It's great, Kou makes for a great straight man to everyone else. Everyone else has a completely different sense of ‘normal’ and a tenuous grasp on reality. Nino is convinced she's a Venusian and has about as good a grasp of earth norms as you'd expect from that fact. Hoshi is… actually pretty normal aside from wearing a mask all the time. He's also Kou's rival because he loves Nino. It's makes for a great dynamic where he keeps trying to win Nino's heart except she misinterprets or ignores any advances while butting heads with Kou. Sister is a warlike nun who sets booby traps around the riverside and is also a man. His super-dramatic backstory is often brought up for comedy and he's pretty fun. There is also mercifully few “eww man wearing girl clothes” jokes, as you'd usually expect from a crossdresser in a manga. Maria's is the most normal person here and her whole thing is being mean to everyone. It's great. The mayor is a guy who wears a costume and insists he's a kappa. Mostly he just comes up with reasons to do fun things. P-ko is someone who seems normal but we slowly learn is one of the most crazy person under the bridge. There are some other, more minor characters but I'll leave that for you to discover. Art Distinct, characters designs. Good art for comedy, nice reaction panels, art accentuates the craziness. Most backgrounds are bland white spaces or generic skies and some buildings. Overall: 7/10 Pretty good! Aside from the weirdly serious ending, I enjoyed myself when reading this manga. If you can ignore a late-stage tonal shift, then you'll enjoy yourself.
Chapter 1-5 spoilers* Arakawa under the bridge is a story about a high social status person who one day almost drowns. After having been saved by a girl, he promises to repay her by becoming her lover and so he suddenly starts living under a bridge with a group of very bizarre people, including his lover who claims she's from Venus. Just with this premise, it kinda seems like shit but don't be fooled. It's a very good seinen manga with a lot of comedy (if you're into this type of random comedy). All the characters, behind their bizarre personalities and appearances have hidden backstories which youlearn more about as the story goes on. Their sanctuary, their place of comfort is under the bridge. The whole mystery is developed really well and each person has their own unique past and demons, especially our MC's lover, but... As the story goes on, about halfway through the story, it's as if the author had no clue what genre she wanted this manga to be. Whether she wanted this to be seinen, mystery, or just comedy or sci-fi. It ended up being a pretty big mess, which is a pretty shame since this manga could've been a really huge masterpiece