- Mangaka : Naoki Urasawa
- Publisher : Viz Media
- Genre : Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
- Published : October 2020
Introduction
Naoki Urasawa-sensei is an acclaimed mangaka. That, we don’t doubt. He’s the brain and the hand behind masterpieces like “Monster” and “20th Century Boys!”. He specializes in capturing the weird part of humans. His touches are both realistic and unrealistic at the same time. That, of course, results in great entertaining reads. What’s more interesting, however, is that Urasawa- sensei is known for weaving two stories at the same time, as if one story is not hard enough.
Contains Spoilers
Discussion Time
Sneeze: Naoki Urasawa Story Collection, as the name suggests, features eight different short stories of the acclaimed author. The stories mix fantasy and reality. Some of the concepts covered are as typical as psychic powers and monsters, but it could get as crazy as seeing aliens invading Earth. While doing that, the entire book also tackles Urasawa-sensei’s real-life experiences with international music.
1. It Has Naoki Urasawa Stamped All Over It
Urasawa-sensei is the kind of mangaka who has established his own signatures in his works. Think of something like Tim Burton’s creepy, but incredulous signature in his films. There may not be enough words to explain what it exactly is. For Urasawa-sensei, he has a certain writing flare that can easily be recognized as his, and this collection has that flare in each of the stories.
2. Amazing Visual Humor
It’s also a given fact that Urasawa-sensei is a great artist. Especially when it comes to facial expressions, he manages to showcase people’s expressions in the most hilarious ways. Be it being distorted to realistic exaggerated lengths or the obviously stupid scenes. Both of which squeezed a chuckle or two out of us.
1. Could Come Out as Weird to the Unfamiliar
As we've mentioned above, Urusawa-sensei has his own flare in writing. This, however, is a hit or miss. Certain populations, like ourselves, absolutely love his works. On the other hand, we also acknowledge and understand why others may not be as into it as us. Of course, those opinions matter. After all, to each his own.
2. Some Stories are Better Than the Others
Since Sneeze: Naoki Urasawa Story Collection is a collection of short stories, the plot, and quality of the stories varied. Although the Urusawa-ness in each story is evident, the quality wasn’t the same all throughout. Some stories are absolutely amazing, while others are a little meh. Our favorite is Kaiju Kingdom. What’s yours?
Final Thoughts
Reading Sneeze: Naoki Urasawa Story Collection was like getting a full course meal in a restaurant. Each story has its own flavor, and of course, its own quality. Some are great, while others are so-so. Nevertheless, in order to fully comprehend it, it needs to be tried. Overall, reading Sneeze: Naoki Urasawa Story Collection was a blast that we totally recommend!
Author: Christian Markle