Hello Baby

The plot was original and kept my attention throughout. The characters were interesting and realistic. It's a one shot so there was only room the flesh out 3 of them, but they're well done. The art is really good, just what you would expect out of Takeshi Obata. From the cover art I thought that the main character's mechanical arm would fit in to the story somehow, but it was completely ignored. Yup, the "extra baggage" that the synopsis is referring to is something completely different. It's a 49-page one shot with some good art, so I'd recommend it if you have a few minutes to kill.

Hello Baby tells a simple story of how gangster mentality can be the deadliest killer. Our story centers on Kinya as he deals with the aftermath of a failed execution and attempts to regain his masculinity. He's joined by his right-hand man Taku and his girlfriend Aya who all believe that the only way for him to become a man is to be a killer. Kinya was supposed to kill a gang leader but he didn't have the nerves to do it. Things get even worse when Aya reveals she's pregnant. This leads to Kinya's inner turmoil where he wants to prove he's a manbut doesn't want his baby to be the child of a murderer. Kinya is a victim of performative masculinity; feeling the need to engage in toxic behavior to prove his worth. His limited set of morals clashes with his desire of gaining respect and ultimately leads to an event that forever changes his life. The art by Takeshi Obata is full of life and has a great punk/ street life aesthetic to it that works perfectly with the atmosphere of the story. He was probably the best artist that could've been commissioned for this manga. Read Hello Baby if you want a true to life gang story.

Short review: This one shot was created by two people, the art from Obata, Takeshi (Death Note, Hikaru no Go, Bakuman), and the story from Morita, Masanori (Rookies). Which I thought was pretty cool and so I decided to read it. I don't know any words that can describe this one shot but it sure was a ride. The art was absolutely beautiful and the story was really a tragic of betrayal. I don't know about you guys, but I really enjoyed reading this one shot. The characters in here weren't really revealed nor developed, but it had the potential of becoming a series. Sooverall, I gave it a 8/10.