The Best Manga You've Never Read

[@maxojavierrojasurzua5746]

How can you write a story about a guy who has plans to take over the world and make it look believable and terrifying at the same time? Well, it seems that Urasawa knows the way to do it. 🔥🐐

[@Neamio]

Believable is a stretch

[@junaspalms]

aum shinrikyo almost did it.

[@Neamio]

@@junaspalms who's that

[@junaspalms]

@@Neamio idk google it

[@junaspalms]

@@Neamio idk google it

[@cumbong238]

Great video, not many people talk about the flaws of 20th Century Boys when reviewing it. It's one of my favorite manga but I'm glad we're able to discuss the negatives as well as the positives. Common Mugen W

[@tableprinterdoor]

This is genuinely one of the greatest manga I've read.

[@Ubii-tf2]

The release of the climax battle was changed to a timeskip because it was scheduled to release right after 911 happened so put of courtesy he changed it, or so ive read

[@mptproductions2535]

I think the manga is the most peak mystery sci-fi thriller ever until the final arc, while it continues to have banger character moments and peak panels of the hero’s fighting friend I think the ending was kinda unsatisfying and rushed, I still loved my experience reading it though, I never thought I could experience a story get me to think like “there’s no way it goes deeper” AND THEN IT WENT DEEPER I just wish the ending wasn’t so rushed because god this manga is amazing

[@Statsmat]

I think its even crazier when you find out the cult is actually based on a real Japanese cult that committed arguably the worst terrorist attack in Japan ever

[@GreasyGranny08]

The sarin subway attack? Or something else

[@ryusawakenji3469]

@@GreasyGranny08 yes.Aum Shinrikyo

[@Jotaro_69]

20CB Was The Only piece of Fiction till Now .which I lived through..I don't know why but while reading It .I felt like I was also the part of the world ..Cause it was so Real...Kenji from being a Dreamer to a Deemer ..and All of the Friend Group From being all lively to living their Basic Lives ..Damn that got me Worried about myself 😅,The musical touch 😭 is Unexplainable ,Thank U bro For this video This Masterpiece is so underrated

[@syntheticreality549]

Ok so I am completely down for discussing the negative aspects of 20th century boys. And find the video you created to be amazing. However just as you pointed out the flaws you found..I’ve gotta be honest. I simply don’t understand yours or anyones issues with all the friend stuff at the end. Like, the idea that the entire story began with Katsumata being treated as a non entity. Betrayed randomly and for no reason. Becoming even in his own mind a faceless creature…he hears kenji’s Record playing and realizes how unendingly important music is to him. After that after realizing how cruel and perfect Fukubei’s plan is, he follows it through to perfection after Fukubei dies as a child. He even has Yamane shoot him so he can resurrect himself as Katsumata and enact his own personal part of the plan…taking away the one thing Kenji has…his music. He sat with Kenji as a child and helped him write the song that would mean so much to him…and then used the fact that he co-wrote the song to phycologically guilt trip Kenji into admitting that he’s not a hero. 20th century boys is about the scorn of the forgotten. It’s about a young child who mentally became nothingness, and systematically did everything in his power to take kenji’s heroism away from him…and he wins. He does it. Kenji stating that he will not sing bob Lennon at the concert is Friends ultimate victory over Kenji. Like “oh you think your such a hero, but your favorite creation you made was co-written by a man you don’t even remember…” Not to mention he impregnated his sister and then essentially waited until she literally couldn’t be more mentally broken, then threw all kenji’s Sins at him and fully planned on killing kanna, because he knew that Kenji wouldn’t remember. He’s goading him, gloating because he knows that Kenji doesn’t remember what he did. That’s the entire point is that he views himself as nothingness so why would Kenji remember? Then Kenji reveals that he knows him and what he did… Katsumata freaks out when he realizes Kenji may actually not be the hypocrite he thought he was. Then all of Katsumatas mistakes (the childishness, the indoctrination, the neglect of SadaKiyo)…it all comes to a head and he is crushed under the weight of it. Blowing up the world is a bit random I do agree but it can probably just be chocked up to the fact that after breaking Kenji like he wanted, there was no use in the rest of the world even being there anymore. He broke the man and the group that turned him into collins. He proved that not only was he good enough to enact Fukubei’s plan, but he even resurrected like he couldnt. The big thing that he didn’t plan on was sadakiyo holding him in place. Ultimately what killed freind was the fact that he abused a forgotten child in the same way he was. And its the cause of his death. In the end, Kenji has had every part of his soul stripped, and Katsumata…a boy that tried to end his own life and was only stopped because he realized that the only thing worth living for is proving Kenji’s hypocrisy and breaking his freind group. It’s an absolutely brilliant, multi-layered backstory that I think about all the time and…I just don’t really get how you actively dislike it.

[@rattlethecages]

Where is it stated that Katsumata had Yamane shoot him? How did he survive it and resurrect himself? That entire thing worked before the retcon because it was two people, now it is muddied so much with the retcon that you have to do a lot of headcannoning to have it work. Also what are you meaning by Kenji’s hypocrisy?

[@syntheticreality549]

@@rattlethecages there’s a metric assload of subtext that katsumata is going to try and resurrect himself in the lab so it all just makes sense. Why WOULDNT Yamane follow his plan. Not to mention even if Yamane does a just shoot him Without provocation I assume Katsumata was ready for that. Also I explained Kenji’s hypocrisy thoroughly thought?

[@rattlethecages]

@@syntheticreality549 I don’t remember the metric assload of subtext you mention, other than the science room scene when they were kids foreshadowing a resurrection. The means and how it all unfolds imo is sketchy af, especially with the retcon. I also don’t remember Katsumata writing a song with Kenji. Where did that happen?

[@syntheticreality549]

@@rattlethecages at the very end of the story, where Katsumata is about to kill himself and then stops when he hears Kenji playing 20th century boy. A while later he finds Kenji on the roof writing music and tells him about the “sudalala Gutalala” part. Hence putting the entire mission to ruin kenji’s soul into motion. Imo freind co-writing bob Lennon is legit my favorite part of the story.

[@rattlethecages]

@@syntheticreality549 ah ok that again must be in the perfect edition, which isn’t as strong in my mind as the original ending. I tend not to favour that as much because I feel like the idea of there only ever being one friend muddies a lot of the previous story telling. You have to do a lot of off-panel imagining and assuming to get things to work well, and I don’t think Urasawa originally intended for it to be that way.

[@Cosmic8099]

Awesome video and thanks for also talking about the manga flaws! I love 20th boys but I’m tired of people saying it’s flawless and friend is a perfect antagonist despite the many problems he has.

[@mothbutemo]

I waited patiently, and here you deliver. proud of you

[@TavoLL1511]

Loved this! I like to think that Friend is like politicians and 20th Century Boys is a critique to politics. Here in Latin America we have politicians that talk to talking birds that are incarnations of dead politicians, and politicians that openly consume hallucinogens among other stuff. Oh, and religious parties that go way beyond the Republican party in the US.

[@bearcavepro8832]

God damn, this is your best video yet fam. This is insane. Please make more long form videos

[@mugenbop]

I can try but bruh haha

[@xam.yo.3943]

Urasawa is a genius, 20th century boys is my favorite manga ever great great great great

[@edwinorellana9348]

I feel like putting in Katsumata as a second friend wasn't implemented well, it could have been if Katsumata was friend all along but the story makes it clear that Fukubei was the first friend, due to the reactions of Manjome and Kanna's reaction to meeting Katsumata friend and knowing he is different. I know there's an interpretation that Fukubei died in his hanging stunt and Katsumata imitated Fukubei since, but the story isn't written that way. You can have only Fukubei or Katsumata friend but you can't have both.

[@mugenbop]

Yeah I think that is kinda the case

[@KB-pj6sh]

Spoilers ahead......... I think the author clearly pointed out that Kenji finally realized that it was Katsumata all along, since Fukube died during Elementary school. Katsumata identified himself as Fukube and imitated him perfectly till the part they planned in the New book of prophecy, after that he couldn't imitate Fukube wholeheartedly since he had reached the part that Fukube envisioned in his New book of prophecy. He then went along with his own plan and stopped pretending to be Fukube. Hope I made sense.

[@edwinorellana9348]

@KB-pj6sh Katsumata Friend 100% is a retcon, the story doesn't justify Katsumata Friend, and 21st century boy was written to make Katsumata Friend easier to swallow, I think the author figured out that he made the identity of Friend too obivious at some point and regretted it (as it was obvious past a certain point that it was Fukubei) and figured that keeping Friend anonymous was better for the story but fucked up thus Katsumata Friend was made. I would have bought the concept of Katsumata Friend but Manjome who was in on the scheme from the start knew Katsumata Friend wasn't Fukubei and more damning is that Kanna (with the supernatural powers) felt for sure that Katsumata Friend was different from the original and I don't buy that Kannas super senses would be fooled by Katsumata imitating and then failing to do so towards the tail end of the series.

[@gehlertstephanie]

as someone who stopped reading this manga after the first time skip because suddenly all the characters i liked of the first part were gone and supposedly dead it is nice seeing that the story still kept getting weirder and complicated but still had the heart of the first protagonists, and as a fan of urosawa’s pluto, his storytelling feats are great!!

[@munchiehan5237]

You should check out monster if you liked urosawa's pluto

[@syntheticreality549]

@@munchiehan5237 y’all ALL gotta hop on billy bat. It’s arguably his magnum opus.

[@MHAAAAANZ]

I did the same yesterday, i got bored of it. Now i am reading Berserk, that’s a manga.

[@syntheticreality549]

@@MHAAAAANZ berserk and 20th century boys are both 10s bro

[@MHAAAAANZ]

@@syntheticreality549 🤣

[@BluGiant14]

Got the first volume of this lined up after I finish Pluto. CanNOT wait!!

[@coldsteel7115]

Great review. I agree with all your criticisms especially surrounding the plot holes that Katsumata’s reveal caused. Overall this manga was a great read and Bob Lennon is a total banger. Keep up the great work mate.

[@thisrandomdude_]

This video better blow the _hell_ up. It _has_ to. PLEASE KZbin ALGORITHM I AM LITERALLY _B E G G I N G_ YOU 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@mugenbop]

hey its out of my hands haha

[@redrising]

great video! I think you really nailed down some of the criticisms I felt but couldn't quite put into words. Also, the subtle final fantasy tunes in the background were an A+ choice

[@ShinyWitch]

Woah this video had great editing. I really enjoyed this.

[@nevergonnagiveupuntilibeco5690]

My Favorite Urusawa Manga

[@mugenbop]

I think same :)

[@amonra8393]

Absolute majority of points you bring up in this video I agree with, a few are debatable but you described everything so perfectly that all I can say is I understand were you are coming from even if subjectively I felt differently while reading. But most importantly, I am grateful to you for doing such an amazing job, structuring and voicing all the thoughts I had after finishing this outstanding manga. Thank you, my friend! Love the manga, love the song, love your video. I am going to listen to Bob Lennon till I sleep today~

[@numbgirlcrybby]

really liked this style of vid. even tho it was a long one pacing and editing were just right. glad u got to read 21st century boys n hope to see more w content from u soon

[@mugenbop]

Thanks queen

[@rolo_swirl1440]

I don't often comment on youtube videos but this was such a masterfully created video and you deserve more recognition. Keep up the amazing content!!!

[@mugenbop]

Thanks my guy :)

[@castoff6231]

yeah this guy is good i cant wait to see what else he can do

[@robertbrowne1462]

This is an excellent video essay, I watched it because I just finished reading 20CB, I wish this had more views so more people could understand how great it is

[@ashwiniparihar1312]

Thanks a lot for introducing this to me. I never knew I was missing out on such a great piece of work. Loved loved loved reading through it. Both you and Urasawa has gained a fan.

[@Joshdrew352]

You reviewed this extremely well and I agree with everything you said. I felt the same exact way that the 3rd part left me confused and kind of made it tough to finish but overall I still loved the Manga

[@SpongetteWilliams]

this is my favorite series. the scope of it is completely mind blowing. never hated a character more than the friend. the friend is like if Johan never developed any redeeming qualities.

[@Theace8]

I have read this manga and I have to say, it needs commitment BIG TIME I read the manga with several breaks through out the span of a year because at times the story feels completly diffrent and doesnt feel like its the same manga as it was in the beginning. This caused me to be quite confused as I forgot some details and was confused about charecters quite a lot (which is definetly my fault but the manga is to blame here as well). I felt as if many things went unexplained and ending wasnt that satisfactory but overall this manga is a great read nevertheless, just dont make the same mistake I did and read it all in one go when you have the time for it. P.S. monster is definetly more consistent and imo urusawa's best work

[@psych000.]

Urasawa is the best mangaka objectively

[@eladmatsri745]

Wasn't very fond of the last 20 chapters or so but the manga is one of the best i have ever read and in my top five for sure

[@casperwashere123]

Even though it’s hard to avoid the flaws of 20CB. I still think this is the greatest piece of fiction ever made.

[@ancientragerv2561]

Perfect until they crosses the border into tokyo

[@rattlethecages]

Finally someone willing to highlight the flaws of this series. It’s not bad by any stretch, but I do think the masterpiece label gets thrown around a little too loosely these days. Aside from the issues you mentioned, I think one of the biggest problems is the pacing and incessant need to have several chapters end with the same cliffhanger. There’s almost too much mystery in this series, to the point where it drags and feels fatiguing. Many of the reveals also feel very flat. Like why spend so many issues trying to make a big deal about the identity of a character, only to reveal its some random guy we see in a panel of issue 3 that had no bearing on the plot or meaningful interaction with the main cast? Why should the audience care about that? 21st Century Boys retcon really convolutes things too. I think it would have made for a nice coda if they had just focused on Kenjis confrontation with his past, and done away with the anti-proton bomb plot.

[@TaigaZzz]

I watched movie adaptation when I was 8 years old and ever since it has been one of my favorite piece of story

[@induetime1]

Jesus man this video is so good

[@newgroundtv]

Uh oh imma bout to be watching this for a couple of days 😂

[@thatguymatt5816]

How can you downplay monster and Pluto like that. You say “it’s pretty good” and “they’re of decent quality”. Bro. They’re INCREDIBLE mangas

[@Spammer_the_hedgehog]

48 min video with 48k views how fiting

[@Hear86ify]

The only thing that the movie trilogy improves over the manga is making you aware of Katsumata and his motivations like the justice badge from the very beggining. The first time ive read the manga i thought that katsumata just took over Fukubei place after his death, and is only after watching the movies and rereading the manga that i noticed that he was acting along with Fukubei from the very start of the cult. Also the difference between the original ending with 2 Friends and the perfect edition ending with Katsumata as the only friend from the start almost ruins the series for me, i stick to the og

[@mugenbop]

Big agree low key :)

[@thetaleco4977]

Yeah, katsumata was there from the very beggining. Detective chouno knew back them that there were 2 people involved, the long haired assassin guy also figured out that they changed roles, and kiriko heard fukubei talking on the phone with someone his age. Everything goes down the drain in the alternate ending, so i stick with the OG, otherwise we have to force the story to make sense by deducting WAY TOO MANY things. Also, in the movies, katsumata co wrote bob lennon, which i think is awesome

[@Hear86ify]

@@thetaleco4977 him cowriting Bob Lennon is also present in the perfect edition manga with just him as Friend and fukubei dead since childhood. Way better ending than Kozumi and God mumbling about bowling lol

[@cri_c]

20th Century Boys is a special manga for me. Is it flawless? No (no story is). Does it kinda fumble its ending? Yes, but those flaws aren't enough to make me love it less tbh. It's an incredibly ambitious story with one of the most likeable cast of characters I've ever seen and story that literally wouldn't let me stop reading. I also find the entire concept of ''Friend'' just fascinating. Is he a good ''character''? Maybe not. Is he an amazing Antagonist? For me he absolutely is. That being said, i think overall i still prefer "Monster'' in terms of writing but i definitely had a bigger emotional reaction to 20CB. A must read imo. Can't wait to check out Pluto and Billy Bat.

[@somesayKosm]

That FFX Seymour theme 🔥

[@swiftysnail9053]

Love this video but one small side note, the ending of 21st century boys which had katsumata as the friend all along only happens in the perfect edition of the manga, not the original

[@syntheticreality549]

It’s so much better of an ending though ngl. Katsumata is fascinating

[@frankwang301]

This manga is so underrated

[@modder15]

The one sticking point between the 1st friend and the 2nd friend is that later just wanted to be noticed and accepted whereas the 1st felt genuine disgust and a sense of superiority to the other kids.

[@iobald7965]

I think Netflix can adapt this into cartoon version Btw the Live action version from 2000 is good thou

[@Joenah5]

"The best manga you've never read" Talks about one of the most one of the most popular manga by one of the most critically acclaimed mangaka (jesting aside, great review. Speaks to my own experience reading it quite well)

[@sabrinamisocreative]

my favourite manga! Just reading it again now

[@mlgcactus1035]

Would love to read this ,but there isn't a digital version available to bye 😭

[@mugenbop]

sadly no, hopefully one day as it is an amazing story and while there is no digital version all of Urasawa's work is available on amazon if one were commited to buying the whole omnibus :)

[@mlgcactus1035]

I live outside the US, so importing things is a pain. One day I will try, but for now it will need to wait @@mugenbop

[@mugenbop]

What a pain, hope you get to read it one day :)

[@nomology6482]

I haven't read it but now i will sure give it a try

[@mugenbop]

Pls do :)

[@thetaleco4977]

Did you? What is your opinion?

[@JoyfulOrb]

I subscribed, you make a GREAT video essay! Now, next year, talk 21st Century Boys?

[@ABIEZHANELADYZHANE]

this is my childhood reading

[@simonezotta2454]

Very well produced video! But... where is the complete Alita battle angel and Alita last order review/essay? I’m waiting since the first Berserk video

[@mugenbop]

Haven’t finished last order yet 🤣

[@sihahrl2608]

The plot holes in 20th century boys are rampant. Even the rise of Friend is so glossed over. The character work which I thoroughly enjoyed in Monster isn't given the same space(apart from the original boys) as the scope of the plot goes of to wild lengths. The wider themes aren't that profound for you to excuse the shoddy writing. The first half of this manga (or everything before the first time skip) is quite incredible but it seriously nosedives into inconsistency later on depending on great moments rather than flourished writing. Even Kenji's reintroduction is anticlimactic without the strong narrative reason for his absence in the first place. Too much Deus ex machina all over the place. A good manga but nowhere as masterful as its reputation.

[@LoafingMushroom]

I really liked it for a while, but it should have ended like 100 chapters earlier.

[@KMakoENVtuber]

Any connections between this and the Aum Shinrikyo cult that conducted the failed nerve gas attack in the Tokyo subway in 1997? It feels like the first act was similar to the build up of that cult under Shoko Asahara, AKA Fat Anime Jesus…

[@mugenbop]

Yes it was those events that helped ground this cult in reality, some great videos about this manga and those events

[@DrakDoesClips]

I really thought this would be the best after watching monster. I don't feel the same after I finished monster, maybe an anime of this one could change my mind but monster is a whole different thing.

[@Nickharrisjapan]

Subscribed!

[@deathdealer9054]

48min vid,based

[@Justintime_9817]

When you realize at the end the boys are likely in their 70s

[@mugenbop]

damn.

[@damagingthebrand7387]

Jack Jack Jack. My evil is law!

[@nadeemkevka275]

Bro pulled a donald trump in that assasination skit

[@ianmiles4892]

Wait wait wait anti proton bomb? Is this canon to PLUTO? Because i thought that was just a PLUTO plot point

[@mugenbop]

No it’s just made by the same mangaka

[@Calcabenstudios]

Love this manga!

[@TheMagicienWorld]

Am I the only one that finds those titles insulting? Like what are we supposed to say? Thank you Mugen for your all-powerful knowledge? Only you can bring wisdom into our lives because we would be blind and without culture without you O powerful Mugen? I know it's just a trend and is not supposed to mean anything, but jeez I hate that one. Hate it even more that people with talents for story telling and videos feel the need to embrace to insulting threads when all they need is just keep doing what they're doing without any thought about views and sponspors, but I guess I'm still living in an idealized version of KZbin, you know, the platform that OUR viewership made up, because we were sick of medias and their promotions... And now we're here. On a video about controlling masses through media and false senses of community made to divide the people. How fucking ironic

[@PrismaX2]

its an 8/10. want some real peak jus read usogui

[@mugenbop]

Is that your profile pic?

[@PrismaX2]

@@mugenbop yes

[@mugenbop]

I see

[@PrismaX2]

trust me if u dont like it within the first 150 chaps u are GUARANTEED to Love it by all the chapters after tower of karma arc, the first 150 chapters are good idk why some dont like them its like build up and building tension to the peak arcs yk @@mugenbop

[@Liu672]

Where I can read the perfect edition for free? Pls reply😢

[@mlgcactus1035]

There isn't a digital scan of the perfect edition, so even bying them legally isn't an option as well.

[@kenshintakamura6596]

Gutalala sudalala🎵🎶🎶

[@hemangbenjwal1380]

Loved itt

[@TheBigMan209]

...but what if I have read it?

[@mugenbop]

Damn.

[@pe-ka1844]

I gotta disagree. read this whole shebang out of another recommendation and the only parts I liked was during the prison and friend land (in addition to couple minor ones). everything else felt way too slow and every time the characters think they found friend it turns out to be "someone else". this wouldn't have bothered me so much if they didn't pull this same trope like 5 times. and to top it all off, despite this manga being so long, the ending felt super rushed and left me unsatisfied. there was so much potential but it just kept me waiting for the payoffs which never came

[@andrej177]

Isn't this manga in the top 10 of MANY people's lists?

[@tx9563]

i did read it

[@jupuxfrudgaming7103]

Common mugen w

[@thatguymatt5816]

*call to action. Not call to adventure

[@mugenbop]

You sir are Pedantic Perry 🦜

[@thatguymatt5816]

@@mugenbop HOW DARE YOU😂

[@eyoungcdc7202]

Friend is the best manga villain ever made.💯🔥

[@themangomanjuice]

Very interesting story.

[@Samsungor]

Not mentioning God is a Slight

[@otakutheweeaboo]

Spoiler Fukube is friend

[@thetaleco4977]

What do you think about the revelation of the second friend?

[@thebradcast5091]

oh I've read it, it's mid. monster slams it

[@ilovemassu]

if only there's a good adaptation of the series. the old one was...a bit..off.

[@mugenbop]

The live action one?

[@SPTV-Vids]

I never realized how much Incredibles ripped off of 20th Century Boys!

[@mugenbop]

Dude kinda true haha holy shit!

[@crashprime9434]

👆

[@curukgaming2752]

i think its mid

[@mugenbop]

Why is that?

[@memeteam7469]

Mid

[@NeoN-ul1ug]

I didnt like, it sucks, its very slow the history is bad, protagonists are meh, and plots are repetiteve and annoying.

[@kaczan3]

The story would be 100 times better if they completely cut out Yukichi and Kanna. They didn't really do anything, they didn't teally have a personality and they were there just for political reasons.

[@mugenbop]

What?

[@akarshsingh6411]

I really loved this video and it brought me sone good memories Also i was just scrolling yt shorts where I encountered something which I can't just ignore kzbin.info6JofRsCXoe8?feature=share I think this is dumb but what are ur takes?

[@mugenbop]

its a very odd comparison as they are very different kind of stories, I would say if you want to make those arguments and have them be convincing. You are gonna need to do something a bit longer than a hype beast youtube short haha. glad you liked the video btw :)