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afreema3's review against another edition
3.0
I thought I'd enjoy the Yugioh GX manga because of nostalgia reasons, but nostalgia could not help me even if I begged. This was a low 3 star rating because I was looking for a nonexistent plot, Syrus saying "Bro" and the sometimes poor grammar. I can't really criticize a book's grammar because my grammar is horrendous, but there were some pretty noticeable mistakes made in this volume, which I will attribute to the translation. I think the only saving grace for me was the duels themselves, but even then they felt underwhelming compared to the duels you would watch in the anime. I don't think I'll keep reading this series even though I honestly wish I could.
emily_m_green's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Thank you to Multnomah County Library, who made Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Volume 1: A New Hero!! available for the public to check out.
Allow me to be frank: I do not understand the appeal of collectible card games (CCG) or the comics based on CCGs. I do not mean this as a criticism of those who play CCGs or of the comic books, I am coming from a place of lack of knowledge. My younger brothers played Pokemon for years and I had many friends who were devoted to Magic the Gathering. Myself, not so much. However, seeing as how many people I respect and love are drawn to CCGs, there must be something to them.
The next logical question would be: why am I reading a book from a genre I don’t care for? Why pick it up? Why not put it down? Don’t I have a DNF pile? All good questions.
Several years ago, I had a student who did not like to read. This student struggled to finish reading assignments, even the ones that most students love. I decided that I needed to find a book that they might enjoy, and since I knew they liked CCGs and had at a younger age watched some of the cartoons, I wanted to try some of the comic books myself and see if I might be able to figure out one that would make a good buddy read for us. Due to circumstances beyond either of our control, it did not work out. However, among the books I took from the library was Yu-Gi-Oh! GX V. 1: A New Hero. I began reading it a loooong time ago, a good chunk aloud to my interested daughter. She sat and listened, looked at the pictures, and did not ask any questions, so I am not sure how much she got out of it, but over several days we read a good portion of the book. And then she got interested in other things and it became buried in my passively reading pile.
Almost every book I start, I finish, whether I like it or not. It might take me years to finish reading it, but I finish reading it, nonetheless. So, why don’t I set aside a book that I do not enjoy, like most readers? My time on this planet and the amount of it that I can devote to reading is just as finite as everyone else’s. There are only so many books that I can read in a lifetime, it is true. However, I think of reading not just as the pleasure of enjoying the book or finding out what happens, but like a child who takes apart a telephone to see how it works, I want to know how the author does it and then to consider why it might be successful or unsuccessful. Interestingly, this is the advice that I give to students: finish reading and decide what made you like or dislike something. In this, at least, I am not a hypocrite. To me, every book is an opportunity to learn.
What puzzled me about A New Hero is that the use of cards in the plot feels like a way to sell the cards, and not as a way to enhance the storyline. Jaden Yuki is a student at Duel Academy, where students battle each other with cards that manifest real life powers and sentient beings. Students are ranked by year and ability within year, and Jaden is Slifer Red, the lowest possible grouping. He is unorthodox in his schooling, but manages to win against the best competitors. Each chapter builds up to a duel, in which competitors use the cards in their decks to battle each other. There are drawings of each card and an index of all the cards included in the volume in the back of the book. Jaden, the underdog, is the titular new hero.
There is not much of a plot and not much character development. Cheeky Jaden with his outcast friends are pitted against classmates and Jaden always performs well. The volume does not feel as though it is building towards a larger plot. It is unclear in what way Jaden will ultimately be a hero. I appreciate the artwork: the expressiveness of the characters, the clearly drawn cards, the balance between humor and action. I also appreciate the running side gag of the writer of the comics showing the perils of slacking and then rushing towards deadline, a story I have heard from other comic book artists, but it’s still amusing.
But, yeah, I don’t get it.
Would I teach A New Hero!! ? If I had another student who was not excited about reading, but wanted to read this book, I would use it without a question. I could certainly get into it if I were reading it with someone who breathes in the world of CCGs and gets the attraction. It would be interesting for me to learn more. However, with the limited knowledge that I have of CCG related manga, I find books that focus more on plot and less on the actual cards to be more interesting and to better fit my own definition of literature. (More on that in some future review, I am sure). So, if you love Yu-Gi-Oh!, then you might love this book. If you don’t, please come join me under my highly sheltered yet ornate rock.
corria's review against another edition
5.0
I loved the anime and I just got around to reading the manga wish they the first chapter was like the anime but other than that I loved it .
maximuspr's review against another edition
4.0
If you're a fan of the anime, then this manga is a must. A word of caution the manga story and cards are different from the anime version. Still is a fast-paced story with new characters that makes it fun to read.
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