Sugarless (2012)

"Every time like a soldier."

Directed by Takashi Kubota and written by Hiroyuki Yatsu and Kei Watanabe, Sugarless is a Japanese yanki/delinquent series based on the manga of the same name written by Masami Hosokawa.  Sugarless follows Gaku Shiiba, a freshman at Kushima High School AKA "The Windmill" - named after the windmill which sets atop the main building, but also a symbol of greatness as the strongest fighter of the school displays his name across the windmill signifying themselves as the TOP of Kushima. The current TOP of Windmill is a well-known senior revered by all - the man they call Shake. Shake conquered Kushima in only his first year and has been the TOP of Windmill ever since. While many have tried to overtake him no one has ever come close. Gaku Shiiba enters Kushima and vows to be the first student to defeat Shake and take the TOP for himself. To do so he'll have to contend with powerful rivals such as the leader of Hydra Osamu Urabe, the undefeated first year Shiro Mukai, and the monstrous Taiji Marumo. Shiiba may aim for the TOP of Kushima, but the question is whether or not he'll even survive the journey to get there.

 

"Anytime like a fighter."

If you've read my reviews on Crows Zero, Bad Boys J, or Kamen Teacher then you know I'm a big fan of the yanki/delinquent genre where high schools operate via survival of the fittest and students compete to be the manliest of manly men. These works tend to be filled with BADASS fight scenes and characters often overcoming adversity through strength. When that's the genre in a nutshell you have to ask "how does Sugarless stand out from the pack?" The uniqueness of this series lay in its characters.

A wild dog appears.

Played by Alan Shirahama, Gaku Shiiba is a character who is best summed up in a quote from Mark Twain: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." From the opening scene Shiiba is in way over his head. He's far from being the strongest freshman, he doesn't know the pecking order of the school and quite frankly he doesn't care. In Shiiba's mind he's going to be the TOP of Kushima and he won't stop fighting until he achieves his goal. His determination sets him apart from many of the other characters and serves him well throughout the series as it makes up for his most dire flaw: he can't fight. Unlike his manga counterpart who is a total badass, this take on Gaku Shiiba is a hilariously terrible fighter. Even so, regardless of how many times he's beaten he's never defeated because he never gives up. I found Shiiba's "flavor" of determination to be not only inspiring but humorously underhanded because Shiiba claims he's undefeated. Despite losing pretty much every fight, Shiiba believes he's never been beaten because he's never given up. He makes up for his dearth of physical strength with his strength of character and he inspires many of the students around him. Even Shake comes to view Shiiba as a threat because of his charisma. Shirahama's portrayal of Shiiba paints a much kinder and in some ways more admirable character than his manga counterpart and he humanizes the other characters.

Hail Hydra

Keita Machida plays Osamu Urabe, the leader of Hydra and one of my favorite characters in the series. Urabe is a complex character. Once one of the most powerful fighters, he lost his old gang as well as a his pride. Believing that victory or defeat is decided by numbers, Urabe resolved to make it to the top his way. Rather than relying on his own strength he monopolizes the power of others and overwhelms his enemies with sheer numbers. In only a single month he has amassed the largest gang in Kushima and nearly all of the first year students give him a wide berth. He's an excellent foil to Shiiba because they have different beliefs not only in how a person should fight, but how a person should live.

The Beast

Nobuyuki Suzuki plays Taiji Marumo, the sleeping monster of Kushima. When Shiiba first meets Marumo, Marumo is essentially just meandering without any real purpose. He doesn't aim for the TOP and doesn't really have anything in his life outside of his routine. Of course Taiji Marumo is carrying a huge weight on his shoulders that none of the other characters can really understand and he appears to have good reason for removing himself from the battle against Shake. That is until he meets Shiiba who points out that in hiding his power, Marumo is actually hiding his true self from the world. Shiiba inspires Marumo to live up to his full potential not just in fighting to claim Shake's position, but to be all that he can be. He proves himself to be a fierce fighter and the vanguard of Shiiba's own ever-growing army. Despite being a nice guy his raw power makes him a devastating fighter.

The Undefeated First Year

Reo Sano plays Shiro Mukai the strongest first year at Kushima who currently stands undefeated. Shiro is at odds Shiiba, Marumo, and even Urabe all for different reasons. Contrary to Urabe who believes strength in numbers holds the key to taking the TOP, Shiro believes power can only flourish in solitude. Perhaps even more so than Marumo, Shiro walks the path of a lone wolf and he believes he doesn't need anyone or anything to succeed. When compared to Shiiba, the two are as different as night and day. Shiiba is more hot blooded, tending to act on his emotions and will go out of his way to help others. Shiro is cold, calculating and he would sooner step over someone than help them on his way to the top of Kushima. He sees his goal and nothing else in between and lays waste to his competition with merciless efficiency.

The man they call "SHAKE".

SHOKICHI of the Japanese supergroup EXILE plays Shake, the ruler of Kushima. I feel he was a perfect choice for this role because much like SHOKICHI himself, Shake has a unique allure and is quite charismatic even though he's rarely seen. The students of Kushima both admire and fear Shake and whether they bow to him or challenge him, everyone is drawn to him. He radiates an aura of power and even the toughest students make a path for him when he goes for a walk - assuming they're not paralyzed with fear. Interestingly enough Shake doesn't control the school with an iron fist. Despite being the TOP of Kushima he's easy-going and seems more bored of the students' antics than anything else, but when Shiiba's arrival at Kushima shakes up the status quo (no pun intended), Shake takes a keen interest in him.

Shiro vs Marumo

Any yanki title worth its name has to have badass fight scenes and Sugarless has that in spades. These fights are easily on par with, if not better than the fights in Bad Boys J. These are some fierce knock-down, drag-out fights and even the fights themselves have personality. The battle between Marumo and Shiro stands out because it's not only a fight between the strongest first years, but their personalities could not be anymore different and this can be seen in their attacks. Shiro almost seems dead-set on not only beating Marumo but injuring him as well because to Shiro anything less than a complete victory is unacceptable, while Marumo only wishes to end the battle quickly before Shiro forces him to cut loose. After all Marumo may seem like a gentle giant, but if pushed too far no one can stop him.

Rest in peace K. You are missed.

As you can tell from the fight scenes the music goes a long way in giving each fight a life of its own. Alternative rock group Pay Money to My Pain provides the soundtrack for Sugarless and I felt these tracks really added an emotional weight to almost every scene. I was really impressed by these songs and how well they were used which says a lot because I'm not a fan of alternative rock.

Brave It Out

Of course the series has its flaws. Fans of the manga may take issue with the show as most (if not all) of the events in the drama are different. Shiiba's antics may irritate some viewers and the show does suffer from a mild case of Naruto syndrome - every character is cool but the main one essentially. Some of the episodes do require quite the suspension of disbelief as some developments are absurd even for this genre. For example, Shiiba's friends almost always being in the right place at the right time to bail him out of a jam - even if they were clear across town and had no idea where he was. These flaws aside I found Sugarless to be quite fun to watch and a really BADASS show every action fan should watch.

Claymore (2001 - Ongoing)

Claymore

Created in 2001, Claymore is a dark fantasy manga written and illustrated by Norihiro Yagi. Taking place in an unnamed world, creatures called yoma prey on humans and people live in fear. In response to this fear and the threat the yoma possess, a mysterious group known as The Organization has created half-human half-yoma hybrids to combat yoma. Often called silver eyed witches on account of their appearance, or Claymores because of the large swords they carry on their backs, these women warriors are the only thing that stand between yoma and the extinction of the human race. However, because Claymores are half yoma themselves, not only are they seen as objects of fear by normal humans, but Claymores run the risk of awakening and turning into a creature consumed by their own demonic power. Once they become Awakened Beings, they are relentlessly pursued by their own organization until they are destroyed.

Clare turning monsters into cold cuts.

Claymore opens with a young recruit slaying a yoma effortlessly, and then the scene switches to a village where its inhabits discover the body of a person who had been killed by a yoma. The increasing body count has the villagers worried and they put in a request to the Organization who sends in the recruit we saw earlier. Raki, a young boy from the village is curious about this warrior and after much insistence on learning more about her we learn that her name is Clare. It is soon discovered that the yoma Clare is hunting was masquerading as Raki's brother and while Clare makes short work of the creature, Raki is now alone and is cast out by the village. Eventually the two reunite and Clare agrees to take Raki on her journey, a journey wrought with peril.

Claymore is a difficult title for me to review not because the material is challenging but because Claymore has some very stand-out qualities early on that gradually and noticeably disappeared as time went on to the point where - at least to this reviewer - it barely resembles its original premise or even its own setting and narrative structure.

Priscilla, The Dreaded

Claymore does a good job of setting up Clare's motivation early on which - predictably enough is a revenge tale which involves her trying to take down a renegade warrior named Priscilla who after having awakened is now the most powerful being on the planet. Clare's retainer Rubel tries to dissuade Clare from going after Priscilla who is far beyond her level, and much stronger than any other awakened being but because Clare is persistent, Rubel sends her on an awakened being hunt so she can learn firsthand the difference in power. While on this quest Clare meets up with other Claymore who have been given the same assignment and this works rather well because at this time Yagi isn't just dropping in characters with no explanation, but carefully introducing them in a logical fashion.

Phantom Miria

In addition, he establishes the different personalities of our starter team in a very short-time with Helen being the hothead, Deneve being the calm one, and Miria being no-nonsense team leader. While these character traits are more akin to tropes rather than anything else, they start to flesh out a bit more evenly after a few chapters. Another aspect of the narrative takes shape and that's the hidden nature of the Organization which Miria aims to investigate. There is an added element of suspense, even horror when the characters start to question the nature of yoma, Claymore, and the nature of the Organization itself. When you think about it the Organization is making biological weapons and while it is for the protection of the human race, is that really the ultimate goal? It is the need to answer these and other questions that broaden the narratives focus and Clare's story expands from there. Over-time, Clare and her friends come across Awakened Beings who - while not being as powerful as Priscilla - are highly dangerous in their own right.

Isley, King of the Northern Lands

As these and other questions slowly but surely creep their way closer and closer to the forefront of the narrative and puts Clare in a very complicated position on three fronts: 1) Clare has to work for the organization because given what she is she can't live a normal life 2) Working for the Organization is the only way to get Clare what she wants i.e. Priscilla's death and 3) Desertion isn't something the Organization takes lightly. It also has the added advantage of justifying why the Organization keeps dangerous and unstable Claymore in their ranks and also makes the story bigger than Clare's revenge tale. Another positive that Claymore has in the early goings are Yagi's character designs.

God Eye Galatea

The character designs in Claymore are Berserk-esque, well-drawn, and no two characters look alike. Even though all the Claymore wear the same uniform you can easily tell them apart due to the shape of their eyes, cheeks, chins, ears, and of course their hair styles. The Claymore themselves are hauntingly beautiful and there is an almost otherworldly air about them which in addition to being a minor element of the narrative comes across in the way the characters are drawn. There is an almost uncomfortable level of perfection in their appearance that is masterfully juxtaposed with their dangerous and at times monstrous nature.

Clare in the shadows.

The beauty of the Claymore not only works as a way to contrast the horror of their nature but also contributes to the aesthetics of the manga as a whole because while the world in which Claymore is set seems harmless enough, the yoma terrorizing the people and the death toll of the Claymore themselves make it apparent that this is not a romantic tale of swords and chivalry.

Alicia and Beth, The Black Ones

These warriors lead lonely, dangerous lives, and despite their untarnished beauty they are destined to die in the darkness. It's a mature read to be sure not only because of the nudity (which is used more sparingly than you think), and the gore (ditto), but because of the tone. Unfortunately, whether it was due to the demands of his editor or if Yagi wanted to shift his focus, there were extensive changes made to the narrative, character designs, aesthetics, and the overall tone of the manga and to this reviewer, these changes were not for the better.

If these characters all look alike your eyes aren't playing tricks on you.

As was popular at the time, Claymore went on hiatus when a major game-changing event took place in the manga. Predictably enough, as is also popular with manga, when Claymore returned it did so after a seven year time-skip which while moving the narrative forward and changing the players in this game, also brought with it a decidedly jarring shift in tone. After volume 11 or 12 Claymore no longer reads or looks like a dark fantasy manga but resembles a typical shonen title with all the cliches and tropes to boot. Yes it is true Claymore was shonen from the outset, but the dark tone, themes, settings, imagery, and narrative structure were much more mature and really made it stand out against other titles. After the time-skip however, it has lost most if not all of the qualities that made it unique. This is clearly apparent in the art style first and foremost, with the characters losing a lot of their definition and unique physical characteristics. It's no exaggeration to say many of the characters now look so much alike that I couldn't tell them apart on more than one occasion. And I've been with Claymore since the beginning.

I think Ridley Scott is going to sue someone over this.

Another problem caused by this shonen heavy tonal shift is that it removes a lot of the suspense of the conflicts because the characters aren't in any real danger. In the first part of Claymore, our cast didn't rush headfirst into any battle with reckless abandon because the tone was more serious and the stakes were high. There was an awareness that death wasn't just a possibility but a likelihood so the warriors always kept a certain level of maturity about them. After the time-skip however they're trash talking during fights, toying with their enemies, and basically act like frat boys. The fan argument would be "Well after the time-skip they were much stronger so they knew they could handle just about enemy", but the logical counter to that would be even on those occasions where the Claymore fought yoma who were far weaker than them, they still maintained an air of seriousness because bravado was not only showy but unnecessary. While character growth and even changes in personality are always welcome, our heroes seem somewhat immature after seven years.

Ah the good ole days.

The battles no longer have any tension or believability to them because the Claymore are never in any real danger of losing much less dying. Even when they're up against enemies that are many times more powerful than them and they manage to escape, the enemy in question never gives chase. And even when one enemy (Priscilla) does pursue them, said foe never kills anyone despite having entire volumes to do so. And when the characters do overcome their enemies it's never because they are more skilled, as was the case in earlier volumes, but because they believe in themselves and their friendship. Playing the friendship card to explain how and why characters have inexplicably gotten stronger in addition to defeating enemies which the Claymore themselves explain how and why said enemies are dozens of times more powerful than them, is a weak move on Yagi's part which is not only cliche but almost regressive.

The Resurrected Number Ones

Another issue I have is the nigh indestructible nature of the Claymore. Yagi was very good at establishing the rules for the Claymore's durability, healing factor, and explain what kinds of wounds they could and could not regenerate from. After the time-skip however, the Claymore regularly survive getting disemboweled, massive hemorrhaging, even multiple stab wounds in the exact same spot which we're told a Claymore would instantly die from. If they're not shredded like cheese rest assured you didn't put them down. This would be fine if 1) Yagi established this from the beginning 2) Yagi did not already establish specific rules and limitations to their survivability or 3) this nigh-unkillable nature was unique to our main character instead of shared among pretty much every Claymore we meet. Yagi tries to increase the tension when the Organization brings out the big guns but by that time it was far too late for me to believe these Super Claymore or any enemy for that matter posed any serious threat to our main characters. Especially when characters start returning from the dead and no, no I am not kidding.

The most epic battle you will never witness.

Another complaint I have is that when the Organization's darkest secret is revealed and Yagi never does anything with it.  We are given the smoking gun, the Roswell event of this manga, we see what everything has been leading to and just like that it's dropped the very next chapter and it's suddenly so not a big deal the characters don't even talk about. We're given the stinger and then the plot does a complete 180 and centers entirely on the conflict between Clare and Priscilla. Also, like most other shonen titles Claymore seems to jump from one big battle to the next because readers love action and heaven forbid you provide an above decent narrative or close up those plotholes.

These are the girls you don't take home to mama.

This review was painful for me to write because before the time-skip Claymore was in my top three favorite manga of all time. After the time-skip however it doesn't even break my top ten. To me this manga started as something fresh, something unique among the shonen titles out there and I waited on pins and needles for the latest release. Today is a different story entirely. Claymore will probably appeal to people who read shonen regularly but the second part will likely lose readers looking for a sophisticated story. The mainstream affect on this manga is apparent and for this reader that's not a positive, it's a detriment.

Immortal Regis (2006)

Immortal Regis tells the story of Jae Hyuk, a high school student struggling to take care of himself and his ailing brother. One night when Jae Hyuk's brother falls ill, our hero tries to take him to the hospital when he encounters demoness Serin, a resident of Chaos. Jae Hyuk gets killed in the battle between Serin and a random demon. This would be a short story for sure but Serin resurrects Jae Hyuk with the powers of her clan. Now an Undead, Jae Hyuk can no longer remain in the human world and is forced to travel to Chaos. While there, Jae Hyuk learns that if he can acquire the fire spirit he may be able to return home to watch over his little brother. But he'll have to contend with vicious monsters, a corrupt political system, and even the very laws of Chaos itself which are all tied to the apocalypse.

Immortal Regis is an intensely satisfying read for many reasons. The manga has layer upon layer of narrative including: myths, lineages, relationships between clans, and even science. It's difficult to discuss the finer details of the plot without spoiling some of the numerous plot twists, a few of which left this reader stunned. What starts as a simple shonen-esque tale of heroism quickly turns into something darker and more mature. Immortal Regis doesn't immediately seem like it's aiming for a piece of popularity pie, rather it emulates ancient myths to create its own and expand upon the themes and tropes therein. On top of that, the manga does a great job in leading the reader on and making one think it's going in a particular direction when a plot twist or new development within the narrative makes a hard right into something amazing.

Immortal Regis is remarkably refreshing because despite it's imaginative story and fantasy setting, the developments within this world are grounded in reality. Power dominates Chaos and it's the common end of whatever means our characters might employ. The cast is considerably more mature than what you find in other titles and they're fully aware that the tropes you see hammered in other manga such as friendship and hugs doesn't actually get things done. We see characters cutting deals, stabbing each other in the back (literally), and trying to take control of ancient powers and prophecies to fulfill their own ambition, while the people of Chaos are largely ignorant of what is actually going on behind the scenes. There is social commentary here in a way.

The characters in Immortal Regis are deep and varied. In a way it seems as though they're not characters but people placed in fantastic situations. What this means is that you have your Machiavellian types, agents of chaos, and pawns in political chess games which includes innocent people like Jae Hyuk and Serin who become guilty by associating with the wrong clans or worse yet, happening upon ancient powers which are the key to someone else's grand conspiracy. Speaking of our main characters, Immortal Regis does an amazing job of centering its plot around a pair of protagonists whereas most manga have trouble dealing with one. In a sense, Immortal Regis serves up helpings of tragedy, drama, and political intrigue in fashions Shakespeare himself would applaud.

Serin is our heroine in this story. She has all the earmarks that you'd expect of a badass. She's powerful, cunning, knowledgeable about the social and political structure of Chaos and the field of battle, but she also has a compassionate side and a very strong sense of duty. After Jae Hyuk is killed when Serin's fight with a demon got out of control, she takes it upon herself to save Jae Hyuk's life and watch over him even though she has no obligation to do so except that which she placed upon herself via her moral code.

Jae Hyuk is a complex character as well. He has the tragic flaw that you'd expect from a tragic hero but this isn't a spoiler per se. It is true that Jae Hyuk's loyalty and devotion to his younger brother is his driving force. The crux of loyalty in the world of Chaos is that it may very well get you killed, but as Jae Hyuk becomes more and more driven to return home he becomes the beneficiary of great and in some ways terrible power - power which appears to be driving him insane at certain points with his madness only being quelled by Serin's compassion. Not only that but as Jae Hyuk becomes more and more involved with the world of Chaos, he does recognize that the duty to save this world may be more important than returning home. It is that recognition of duty, how it conflicts with loyalty, and the influence of power which complicates Jae Hyuk's character and the events that stem from his decisions.

The environments of Chaos blend ancient structures sporting a mix of European and East Asian architecture alongside futuristic laboratories. Modes of transportation include dragons, horses, and carriages. There are large satellites, meticulously detailed holograms, and beautiful hanging gardens. Usually when creators try to mash so many anachronisms together it comes off as garish but in Immortal Regis the artist makes it work. From the standpoint of the character design, the characters do look oddly proportioned for the first volume but that's par for the course where manga is concerned. There is a gradual but very noticeable evolution of art which sees our characters transition from odd to being artistically breathtaking - even more so in the sequel manga Cavalier of the Abyss.

Immortal Regis is epic, beautiful, and incredibly well put together. To say it is unlike any manga out there would be a very good approximation of how different and how good it truly is. It doesn't aim to be like the big three or fit the needs of one particular audience. The aim of Immortal Regis is to weave an epic tale of complex characters set in a world of paradoxical aesthetics and it succeeds. Immortal Regis delivers in dividends and somehow, it's sequel piece actually improves upon the groundwork laid down by this manga. To say Immortal Regis is a must read is something of an understatement as it is absolutely amazing. If you've never read this title you're missing out.