Kami Kaze and Junk record of the last hero: Must get?

[Curse_7781]

I was wondering if Kami Kaze and Junk: Record of the last hero were worth getting.....

The reason I ask since I read reviews of both titles and the premise sounds extremely exciting. While Junk didn't exactly get a great review (it got a C+) I'm sure it improves in later volumes, while Kami Kaze got great reviews from the reviews I read.

Are they worth picking up?

Enhance the Trance,
Curse

[akcoll99]

I just read the first volume of JUNK the other night and I certainly enjoyed it. Personally, I would have given it a 'B' but I can understand some of the criticisms the reviewer gave it. I'l lay out a few thoughts I had about it:

- The main character, Hiro, is a definite hokikomori (sp?). When the story begins, Hiro has been a shut-in in his room at home for a year because of bullying at school.

- He has the requisite cute next door neighbor/childhood friend who tries to look after him, but he just ignores her. In fact, for most of the story Hiro is not a terribly sympathetic character. He skulks around, keeps to himself, and thinks of only revenge on his bullies. At one point, he also [hide] attempts to rape his childhood friend. He stops himself, but never really apologizes. It gives a good example of how demented his mindset at this point is.[/hide] He orders the JUNK suit online thinking it's a toy, and when he discovers that it's a power suit that allows him to have incredible strength, his first thoughts are on how to abuse his power. He does have some moments where you feel for him, such as when he breaks down thinking about his parents' death. It's a little jarring at first not having a 'hero' you can root for, but I found that it made him more intersting. Certainly more unpredictable.

- The action scenes are pretty fast-paced and mostly well done. Though I'll agree with the ANN reviewer in that is IS sometimes difficult to tell which JUNK suit is which when the second one shows up. The supporting cast I didn't think was as cast-away as the reviewer did. The next door neighbor and her mom are given good screen time and their relationship to Hiro is firmly established, as is the high school guidance counselor trying to break him out of his hokikomori shell. The one enigma is the pop idol that Hiro is obsessed with (shades of All About Lily Chou-Chou). The identity of the other JUNK wearer is still a mystery too, but if you pay attention, you can start to figure out who it is.

- The only thing still not explained at all is what the JUNK suit is exactly, and where it came from.

Overall, I think Asamiya has laid the foundation for what could be a very good story. Like I said, it's not flawless, but it was entertaining and I am anticipating the second volume. I'd definitely recommend it. One last thing, the packaging Dr. Master gave the volume is fantastic, with a faux slipcover look to match the Japanese volume design.

[Curse_7781]

Ah thanks akcoll99 for the detailed response and explaination of Junk: Record of the last hero.

I definetly plan on picking this title up now due to its unpredictability and unusual characters.

Now I need recommendations for Kami Kaze....though I read that it has been edited in the first volume, which I don't mind since its only one panel that was affected and is unedited in future volumes

Enhance the Trance,
Curse