Reviews

Master Keaton, Vol. 1 by Hokusei Katsushika, Takashi Nagasaki, Naoki Urasawa

kimu's review against another edition

3.0

Would give this a 3.5 if I could. Fascinating main character, some interesting plotlines, but a bit jumbled. Enjoyed it enough to get the next volume from the library.

standardman's review against another edition

4.0

This isn’t the taut thriller that I’ve come to expect from Urasawa but I am enjoying it.

It’s a detective manga with a case every few issues and there’s a charmingly enthusiastic sharing of facts - whether it’s about Uyghur culture or how a myth relates to a herb - that keeps it interesting.

The titular character is almost absurdly nice and good at stuff. I’m hoping he gets a little more rounded.

djinnetta's review against another edition

4.0

A slow but enjoyable read. Much more procedural than Urasawa's other works but each chapter adds something to Keaton. Keaton is now added to my list of characters I'd like to have with me in a crisis. He's like the literary version of Bear Grylls. I especially enjoyed the stuff with Keaton's family.

ainiali's review against another edition

4.0

3.87 stars

This manga has me curious for quite sometime, it just that I cant seem to find it anywhere until now. The drawing is just okay. The characters are really strong in my opinion, really distinctive in terms of characterization. Although the story got me praising left and right about how diverse it goes without being disrespect because the story deals with all sort of different ethnicity from different part of the world, there's no an overarch storyline in this volume. We got short stories from various timeline to answer all the 4W1H questions about the main character, Mr Taichi Hiraga Keaton. It got me confused a few times when the shift of timeline happened. The short stories themselves are quite good because they explains a lot. However, I will definitely continue with the series.

lucie_b's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

patsaintsfan's review against another edition

3.0

I enjoyed some parts much more than other parts. I guess that is a true 3 rating.

count_zero's review against another edition

4.0

I've been a big fan of Naoki Urasawa's work for quite some time, and while Urasawa didn't write Master Keaton, I was interested in seeing how his art helped carry across the story of the manga.

In short, Urasawa's work meshes with the story of the manga incredibly well - giving the narrative and the action the pacing it really needs, and doing a great job of showing instead of telling. That said, there are a few chunks of the story where it's clear that the writers decided to tell instead of showing, where things can consequently undermine Urasawa's art a little.

Still, fans of Urasawa should definitely give this manga a look. You'll definitely enjoy it.

peyjturner's review against another edition

4.0

Naoki Urusawa's newest work is freaking amazing. Sure, it's basically a episodic mystery show with a cool, quiet protagonist that can McGuyver his way outta anything and everything, but where it shines is the subtle details in both the art and narrative that only Urusawa can bring to manga. I'm really glad that it's got an episode-like format too; it's a nice break from his huge epic arcs that his manga usually goes through.

Please read this manga. It's super cool.

fearandtrembling's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars, to be exact! I found this absorbing and fun; the artwork is detailed and gorgeous, the stories compelling. The main character is an archaeology lecturer who moonlights as an insurance investigator. His previous training with the British SAS stands him in good stead in his adventures, but the history presented is thankfully not pro-empire (so far). Think a more taciturn, less annoying, scholarly MacGyver.

lilsuccubus's review

adventurous tense slow-paced

4.5

Way more text than I have seen in any other manga, but I loved the story. Urasawa does great work! I am a big fan of Keaton, even though the military stuff is hard for me to understand. The archeology aspect is most interesting to me.