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ใใญใณใใใใทใงใณ ใใใฐ ใฉใคใ ใขใณใ ใใใฐ ในใฟใคใซ
86
10
Finished
Mar 2, 2007 to Oct 5, 2012
6.5/10
Average Review Score
50%
Recommend It
2
Reviews Worldwide
Front Mission: Dog Life & Dog Style is a rather special manga that I enjoyed discovering. There are a number of interesting points in this manga that deserve to be introduced to the general public. First of all, the manga is a spin-off from a video game series. Having never played these games, I'd be hard pressed to tell you whether the game fits in perfectly with the series. Nevertheless, the author manages to develop aspects of this futuristic universe. The technologies, political conflicts and geopolitical stakes are coherent, which will delight fans of the franchise. In terms of storytelling, I found the manga a pleasure todiscover. The storytelling is skilful, and character development is equal to the stakes. The author, Yasuo Ootagaki, succeeds in creating a dark and realistic atmosphere, where the protagonists' motivations are brought to the fore. Complex interactions and relationships add depth to the plot. The manga doesn't hesitate to show us the horrors of war in all their forms. I found Yasuo Ootagaki's style impressive. His detailed drawings capture the essence of mecha combat. The action scenes are dynamic and well-choreographed, offering a thrilling visual spectacle. There are double-page spreads I won't soon forget. I also found there to be a lot of technical detail. There's an attention to mechanical detail and the anatomy of the fighting robots that leaves no one indifferent. The battle passages are intense, thanks to the author's sense of movement and visual clarity. This makes it easy to gauge the aggrandizement of the battles and follow every exchange of blows. The plates are well arranged, highlighting the impact of the battles and reinforcing immersion in the universe. The manga is also interesting because it explores deep themes linked to the consequences of war, politics and interpersonal relationships. The author deftly addresses the personal sacrifices that characters must make in a world plagued by conflict. The story raises complex moral issues and prompts readers to reflect on the place of these conflicts and their management. The themes are universal and topical, making for an engaging and memorable reading experience. In short, I found the manga really interesting. The only thing I can fault is the pace, which is sometimes a little too fast. The story begins with a series of small independent stories, and then struggles to hook us in with a real red thread outside that of the conflict. However, its solid narration, impressive drawings and deep themes make for a fairly immersive reading experience in a world torn apart by conflict. It's a topical manga worth discovering.
Huffman Island is a land split by an uneasy cease-fire between two major world powers, the USN (United States of the New Continent) and the OCU (Oceania Cooperative Union). The cease-fire has held for 20 years, but now tensions are mounting, and it looks like open war will break out again soon. Matsuda Akira has gone to join the on-site reporting team for NNTV. Are he and his colleagues really ready for the horrors they may face if they're caught in the middle of a war? (Source: MangaHelpers)
It is safe to say that this manga definitely is not for everyone. If you are a fan of militaria and real-robot mecha, you should give this manga a try, but if not, go read something else. It should be noted that even though this takes place in the Front Mission universe (during the events of the first game to be exact), you do not need to be familiar with the Front Mission series to enjoy this manga. I think everything you need to know about the setting is explained very well to newcomers. I think what holds this story down the most is the author'sreliance on shock value. He wants to show you how horrible war can be: youre seeing civilians getting mowed down, women being raped, torture, and other warcrimes. But after so many tragedies youre just like "oh come on". And its grating how the USN in this story acts nothing like how they did in the games. In the games, neither side was completely good or evil. It wanted to show you that both factions had good people and bad people within their ranks, and how war was rarely just good vs evil. In DL&DS, the USN faction seems to be completely filled with subhuman ogre men who think of nothing but murder and rape, where Nanking is just another Tuesday. Another thing to be aware of is it seems the author was very horny when writing this. Almost every arc has a sex scene in it, or at the very least a character doing something weird and pervy. Now, some people like their stories to be full of sex. But if you are like me, seeing two characters who don't even love eachother have passionless sex will keep you rolling your eyes over many pages. Now lets talk about the good things in this manga. As stated in the previous paragraph, this manga is separated into arcs; each arc being its own self-contained story that gives you different perspectives on the Huffman conflict. So its not just about the mech pilots, but also the grunts, the civilians, the media, and others. The quality of each arc wavers between being great and kinda sucking, but none of them are so bad that it would warrant skipping. Besides, there are a few reoccurring characters throughout the manga, so it is worth seeing how all these connected stories culminate, especially for one specific character. But If there is one thing that is consistent, it is the art. The mechanical designs of the Wanzers and other military vehicles and gear look great, and the battles are epic. Its the type of manga that has certain pages where youll catch yourself looking at them for minutes, admiring all the detail put into it. The character designs are good too. You can totally check out this manga for the art alone if thats the type of person you are.