Book Description

This volume is aimed at the advancement of manga and prepared by a group of assistants to popular manga artist Yu Kinutani. It begins with the use of drawing utensils and covers character faces, full bodies, arms, legs, hair and so on. The instructions are presented in easy-to-understand "blocks". A great way to begin a hobby or career in the field of Japanese manga. English Language. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Good general information.
Well, when I bought this book, I wasn't disappointed. It gives you very good information on figure-drawing, how to render expressions, proportioning for different types of characters (i.e. children, men, young women, older women, etc.). There are also sections on how to render character and plot which are useful if you're a beginner, although you would want to find additional material at a later date as they do not go into depth. There was also information that would be quite useful if you wanted to be a professional manga artist, covering tone, the types of brushes and pens you need, etc.

Some of the side drawings (NOT what is used to instruct) are ecchi (a little perverted), but not over the top. Also, the translation is lacking. Some people might find that this book is not in-depth enough for them--there are other books in this series that go more into depth on the desired subject.

Another book to try would be "How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 1". It would be useful for anyone, because it shows commonly made mistakes and how to fix them.

However, do not expect that this book will automatically make you better (this goes for any "How to Draw" book)! There's something important required... it's called PRACTICE. It seems like too many people buy "How to Draw" books and immediately expect to be better. Umm... not if you don't draw until you never want to draw again, and then some. If you draw with technique and practice, you'll improve.

This is a good addition to any collection.

Fantastic! Except....
This book is a wonderful start-to-finish guide for drawing manga. (What this book is *not* is a step-by-step guide for drawing anime/manga characters -- for that, get the related Drawing Anime and Game Characters series.) It goes over the processes of professional mangakas getting published, usings pens and tones, planning a story, designing characters, drawing faces and bodies, creating a manga-type mood, drawing dynamic scenes, all with the aid of a mini-manga of "Mr. Mangaka" and all his assistants acting everything out for your personal enjoyment. I have never, ever encountered any book, online or in print, that covers so professionally such a wide range of topics. (Someone noted correctly that this book requires a little bit of talent and practice on your part -- after all, it's a "how to draw manga" book, not a "how to draw halfway decent" book, so supposedly you already have some interest in drawing and anime to even take a second look at this book.)

The rest of the How to Draw Manga series is specilization; this book was all-encompassing. If you get no others from this series, get this book, if you seriously want to draw pro manga right away.

However, this book has one weakness, and, unfortunately, it's huge: the translation. I happen to have access to the Japanese version and all I can say is... dang, the English version hurts. The diction is off on every page, the grammar has shadows of Japanese syntax, the fonts (Chicago and Arial, everything!) and the spacing are horrendous, and most rules of layout and white space management are thrown out the window -- making that aspect of the book look amateurish. They didn't even doctor the SFX correctly -- in some places they are whited out with no attempt to clone the background, leaving ugly white holes, and the English SFX they replace them with (if any) are bizarre and stilted, and usually in a stupid font like Chicago.... In other places the SFX are left completely untouched -- left in Japanese, so those who can't read katakana can scratch their heads in confusion. (As stated in the book, SFX contribute heavily to the mood. In this case, they fracture it .)

Conclusion: Would have been a 5 star if the translation was done better...even slightly so. However, the content is sooo good that it's still completely worth getting the book -- unless you know Japanese and can easily get the Japanese version, in which case, go for the original by all means.

(Warning: there is some mild H (perverted) content on less than half a dozen pages -- nothing much, PG+ or PG-13 tops, and nothing at all compared to the nudity and more offensive poses that can appear in the other books of this series.... In any case, just a heads up.)

A great addition to "How to Draw Maga: getting startted"
While "Getting Started" deals with the very basic aspects of How to Draw Manga, This book in the series seems to extend beyond the very basics and gets more in depth with the aspects of Drawing, character creation, and the elements of making a Manga comic.

Though as an afterthought, this book, "How to Draw manga: Compiling Characters" could probably replace "Getting Started", as it does cover just about the same topics, in fuller detail. So if you don't feel like spending the $20 some odd dollars on "Getting Started", this one can easily take its place. but it certainly doesn't hurt to get both

You need a little talent first
After searching for this book for SO long I finnaly found it. I was so excited that I could finnaly sharpen my techniques. But... It was kinda disapointing...
I mean they use terms like, "3 point perspective" and "vanishing point" without telling you what they are. I mean I know now, but it was confusing! And really, I just didn't like there models, they weren't my style. But the face section was great!
But sadly, when it comes to drawing, it's not a matter of learning how to do it. To make something look the way you want it to, you have to draw with your heart and mind, and work very hard at it. Unfortunately it's not something that's easy to teach.
All in all, the books give you some ideas. But really it depends on how much skill you have and what technique you like. ...

Great Book
Excellent book, shows how to draw using blocks and lines.
Mostly very easy to understand, with cute little characters showing you what to do ^_^
Also showed some Japanese words and there meanings.
This book had 2 or 3 wrong translations but was overall a really good book ^^ ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The story of the Demon Zabuza and Haku
"Naruto vol. 4" continues the fierce battle begun in vol. 3, against the ninja-hunting Demon Zabuza and his deadly assistant Haku. The stage is set with Sasuke slain, Kakashi literally mystified and Sakura learning her own limitations.As everyone knows, when things look darkest for a band of heroes...it is time for a little payback.

Payback is what you get in vol. 4, but not exactly in the way expected.Naruto, full of rage over his friends death, unleashes the power of the Nine-tailed Fox demon.Kakashi shows that he is more than the Sharingan Eye, using an innovative attack to overcome the loss of vision.Sasuke lies on the ground dead, and there is lots of weeping.

The real story, however, is the love and loyalty between Zabuza and Haku.Compared to this, the trials of the four heroes are trivial.Haku sees himself as a weapon to be wielded by Zabuza, and the true test of his loyalty comes when Zabuza's feelings are made clear.Its some powerful, emotional stuff.

Along with the conclusion of this story arc, vol. 4 also sets up the next adventure for the Naruto gang. This time, they head home to face the challenge of the examinations for chunin, the next level of Ninja. Several groups of older kids come into town to face the examinations, and run foul with Naruto and friends.Cue the music and start the fights!

Insert Title for Review (haha)
When I read this one, I can't say anything surprised me at all. But that's only because I've seen the anime already. I have to say, this manga impressed me even after already seeing the anime. Sure I didn't cry my eyes out like I did in the anime but the shounen-ai scene with sasuke and naruto about sasuke 'dying'... Well lets move onto the blood. The blood was alot cooler than it was in the anime. In the anime, the blood was stupid and purple. In the manga, it was all over the place and dark. Really Dark. Just like blood is supposed to be. And it wasn't drawn out annoyingly like it was in the anime.
The best thing about the manga is you don't have to listen to the annoying music. That made this book so much more intresting, and out of the four I own, I like this one most.
The best thing about this volume is the cover art. If you've seen the cover art on other three, you'll notice SOMEONE is making a stupid face, pose or it just looks weird. The cover art for this volume is beautiful.
Only thing I can complain about is... some of the anime characters are scarey when they're first introduced. The once adorable Shikamaru is now scarey. Very scarey. He looks like evil Betty from Kung Pow. And Temari, once pretty, now ugly. I hope they fix that...

don't write it off just yet...
Ok, so maybe this was a bit of an anticlimax following the huge cliff hanger at the end of volume three.However, loads of new characters are introduced in this volume which give rise to a whole new level of story telling and character development.There are currently 22 volumes of naruto waiting to be translated into English and this volume sets the stage for what is to come.It's a really good read, and if you can't wait for the next volume, there are plently that have been scanlated available on the net, so go check it out...it's definately worth it!

doggies? get out.
Death of a friend, breaking of a seal, final confrontation...here it comes, the final showdown!!!! Dogs? Ninja Dogs? Come on. After all that build up, you give us ninja dogs? It's like listening to a joke you know that's going to be good. You are sitting there waiting for the punchline, and you are ready to clutch your stomach because it's going to be a belly laugh. Then suddenly a clown in a cheap custom jumps out from behind the curtain and starts juggling balls; while the comedian takes a break. By the time he comes back and finish telling the joke, you can't get that cheap clown out of your mind. The joke fizzles, and you felt you got robbed.
Am I going too far? Maybe. Masashi Kishimoto did an awesome job of setting up the story in Volumes 2 and 3. Volume 4 was going to be the climax, the punchline that makes you gasp for air. Enters the clown.

Contains spoilers (if you haven't read Vol. 3)
This volume is awesome.
It picks up where Vol. 3 left off, with Sasuke dead, mid-battle with Zabuza and Haku.

This whole volume is just...great. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. ... Read more

Book Description

The explosive finale to one of graphic fiction's greatest achievements is here! The mad psychic colossus Tetsuo, the world's military, and the remaining psychics of The Project face off -- with the child psychic god, Akira, the wild card -- in what may not only decide the fate of mankind, but may determine the next step in human evolution! This long-awaited volume -- a staggering 440 pages -- features the impossible-to-find final chapters of Akira, never before collected in the U.S., presented as they were intended to be seen in their original, stunning black and white! Featuring a revised translation and top-quality art reproduction, this is the final edition of one of comics' definitive works, a six-volume epic of over two thousand pages. Katsuhiro Otomo's entire masterpiece is finally available -- only from Dark Horse! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The end of THE epic!
Wow! Akira has finally ended. Some twenty years after Otomo got the Akira project started, it still remains as one of the greatest tales of our time.
From the beginning of this 400+ page book to its end it is well written, drawn, and presented. We learn what is to come of Tsteuo, Noe-Tokyo, and the universe. The ending is very unclear and ambiguous, but it really shows the status of the entire story.
Otomo has given us a beautiful masterpiece that needs not to be forgotten. Long live AKIRA!

Wow...
The only other Akira book I have read is Book 2 (though I am attempting to rectify this situation) so when I came to this book, although I knew the basic storyline and the characters, I still had quite a few gaps. It didn't matter. This book was dramatic, powerful and eerie. The drawings are excellent and it's an amazing finale to the story.
Part of the reason I was so impressed with this was that although the story is sci-fi/apocalyptic, Otomo has not (unlike quite a few others writing in this genre) neglected character development and complexity. I don't want to give away the story, but I'll just say a lot of this book made me cry - and not a lot of things do that.
The ending is...ambiguous, and pretty poignant - something about Tokyo rising from the ruins still gives me a lump in my throat. I disagree with those who say it's a cop-out, or too weird - it suited the book, and it was such a contrast to all that had happened.
The only reason I took a star off is that sometimes there's too much violence for my taste, and also I found the expulsion of the soldiers at the end sort of weird. But this may simply be due to my lack of knowledge of the other books.
Overall, I would recommend this book HIGHLY, but do read the others first. It can only enhance your enjoyment of this one.

Compelling
All in all, the book is a satisfying read. It leaves some of the mysteries open, like whatever happens to that mega-psychic boy Akira, and what's with Kaneda, Kei, and their motorbike gang with the ruined Tokyo.
It is both satisfying and saddening to see a good story ends, yet I would rather see it end there than be dragged on and on as in the case of many other comic books.

Non-Stop action!
Akira Volume 6 brings the story to a shattering conclusion, as all of the surviving characters converge to attempt to stop the mad Tetsuo. And what will they do with the Godlike child Akira..?

The great thing about epics, in any medium, is the amount of time they have to develop their characters. I can't imagine the Akira movie being as satisfying as the books. (I'll see soon enough- I loved the books so much I ordered the Akira DVD.) Considering that the final chapter is 400+ pages of non-stop action, it's a good thing Otomo built his characters up heavily in the previous 5 chapters. The art is sensational, and the writing is top-notch; Otomo manages to deliver a satisfying (If somewhat head-scratching...) ending. Maybe the highest compliment I can give is that I was sorry to see it end.

Climax, Conclusion...and Beginning...
Allow me to reiterate:

Amidst the flotsam and jetsam of former pop-culture sensations, there are a few items of media that, through sheer visceral creative force, transcend the 'cool one moment, cliché the next' element of disposable entertainment. The Japanese manga/movie _Akira_ is among these rare and dignified. Although the movie version is cluttered and convoluted, an epic mess--and what can one expect from the effort of reducing 2000 pages into two hours?--there still remains a power and presence to it that is at once unnerving and captivating.

I "got" Akira upon my first viewing, but like many others found the movie unsatisfying on a basic level. Characters and concepts popped up out of nowhere, seemingly important to the overall arc, yet remaining undeveloped. It felt as if an enormous amount of back-story was left untold. Thankfully, Dark Horse has decided to give the manga version of _Akira_ the definitive publishing it deserves, to fill in the gaps and give us a deeper and far more gratifying glimpse into Katsuhiro Otomo's astonishing vision of dystopia.

And now, finally, volume six is here, containing story and art never before seen on these shores. Here Otomo takes the hints and fragments presented by the film--Tetsuo's metamorphosis, the fate of Neo-Tokyo, the showdown of primal force between Akira and his prodigy companions--and ties them together in a way that, as an end result, far overshadows the 16mm attempt. I have to agree with a fellow reviewer who claims that the movie and manga compliment each other...but while the former is interesting and challenging, the latter is far more essential in terms of scope and overall achievement.

The art is, as usual, clean and crisp and amazingly complex; one can simply contemplate the detail of various panels for hours on end. But the story is paced at such an ongoing peak (especially considering the cliffhanger ending to vol. 5) that upon first reading you may do what I did: breeze through the pages, totally involved in the build-up/release of conflict, while using the art as merely a visual representation for the ongoing story. Thus, Akira vol. 1-6 contains immense re-read potential: firstly to glean Otomo's philosophical ponderings on energy and consciousness, secondly to appreciate the amazing artwork.

And the ending...in true Japanese form, the very ambiguity of it hints at a far larger story in progression; the end is the beginning, apparently. Those with concrete story-structure paradigms may find it unsatisfactory, but I personally loved the surreal suggestions.

Truly an epic, in all sense of the word. Five stars. ... Read more

Book Description

"I understand the design, but I can't figure out the actually how to portray my character in the costume." Many have likely experienced this dilemma when trying to develop a character's costume and reached for a book on fashion as a reference. In this volume, manga characters appear as models, and the book illustrates aspects that serve as fashion points showing the characters in various poses and angles. This volume boasts more than 4,000 images. With this as reference, the reader should be able to design an original costume with ease by combining the collars, sleeves, cuffs, and other dress details provided. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good stuff
I thought this book was very helpful even though most of the clothes were for women. This is a must have if you are interested in drawing anime and manga!

Good for girls cloths
This book is good, the only thing missing is the male fashons. All of the cloths are women's, even though some could be altered to be men's cloths. There is a small section about drawing men in women's cloths, but that's it.

If You're Serious About Drawing Manga, Get This Already!
Just about every "how-to" book on drawing manga (and also "mainstream" comics) advises aspiring artists to gather reference material from "real-life" in order to draw realistic buildings, animals, trees, and so on. But when it comes to researching costumes and fashions for designing characters, the artists is confronted not only with the potentially confusing details of a particular item of clothing, but also the countless changes in fashion that have developed over history. And just how do you correctly draw that leg-of-mutton sleeve for your heroine's wedding dress?

I can't recommend this first volume of the "Costume Encylopedia" (Everyday Clothing) highly enough. There are more than a dozen different styles each of sleeves, skirts, coats, footwear, and other items of clothing, that are catalogued, diagrammed, and described for easy reference.

Don't know the difference between a tiered skirt and a sarong (you can raise your hand if you don't)? They're both in the book. The book is prefaced with several drawings of costumes created from the various styles featured in the encyclopedia. And for those of you interested in how clothes are constructed, the back of the book explains how basic articles of clothing are pattered and assembled.

This is not only perfect for creating costumes for your manga characters, but also for interpreting outfits featured in fashion magazines, history books, and on film and TV (be sure to observe what folks are wearing on the street,too). Students in fashion design courses also use guides similar to this one, but those texts are easily 2 to 3 times more expensive than the Encyclopedia (If you can afford it, I highly recommend "Fashion Sketchbook" by Bina Abling).

I would've liked to have seen more instruction on how to properly draw the clothing items upon a human figure, but much of this information can be obtained from other art instruction books, including other volumes in the "How to..." series.

I recommend this book for everyone, including non-manga comic artists, and I look forward to the two upcoming volumes (Yes!) in the Costume Encyclopedia.

This is a great book -- the pages are packed.
I hoped to see a good number of illustrations and styles, but I am actually overwhelmed by the sheer number of variations and illustrations in this book. This is a fantastic resource. I definitely recommend it. The only drawback is that the illustrations are generally done in the over-simplified style of this series, but what the illustrations lack in tones and shading is more than compensated for by volume and diversity.

There's still no substitute for a good from-life reference, but this book makes it easy to pull from a whole universe of styles. Great stuff. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

good book for people who have experience on drawing manga
this book is great even if it does have nudity but theres a purpose for it so the artist can see how the clothes fit on your female character it shows the different angles of different views you can draw your character there are a good amount of poses. and how to do eyes, legs of different lengths and size, hands, feet and for those who like to draw there characters in water it explains how the water drops flow on the body. So in other words this book is good.it doesn't earn its fifth cause there are some poses half done meaning they don't show the head and face so if you are trying to draw that pose you have to assume how the heads shape is suppose to be buy the book anyways because it has help me a lot so it could do some good for you ^-^

A good reference for intermediate artists
This book is helpful if you want to improve your manga-style female figures, but is not a good place to start to learn basics about drawing or manga-style techniques. As another reviewer suggested, the first book in this series is the best to start with. Also, although this book spends a great deal of time on in-depth coverage of drawing the body, it doesn't cover drawing faces, eyes, and hair nearly enough. Even with this problems, I still recommend this book as a great help to improve and refine manga-style figure proportions.

Far from the Best
I got this book when i got into drawing and was disgusted to find it did'nt really help me at all. I only gave it two stars because it gives you a few examples to look at if you really need them. and if your gonna draw something more for an ADULT kind of cartoon. There was more on how to draw breasts in diffrent postions and how it'd look with diffrent hands holding it then how to draw legs and arms. combined. it's alright if your deperate. but don't waiste your money otherwise.

Excellant!
If you are new to attempting to draw manga, this is a decent place to start, at least with drawing limbs and...um...other anatomy parts. But you have to at least know beforehand how to draw the eyes cuz it dosn't go into much detail about that part.

It's good for those that know how to draw.
I give this book 4 stars because the tutorials are good,but they arent really the best for beginners. I recommend this book to any manga artist. This book has some nudity in it,but it's censored to keep it appropriate for teen artists. ... Read more

Book Description

In the 21st century, the once-glittering Neo-Tokyo lies in ruins, leveled in minutes by the infinite power of the child psychic giant, Akira. Now a wasteland of rubble and anarchy, the Great Tokyo Empire rises, a ragtag group of zealots and crazies who worship and fear Akira and his mad prime minister, Tetsuo, an angry teen with immense powers of his own -- and equally immense twisted ambitions. The planet at large is not taking the threat lying down, however, and the might of the world is ready to take on the Empire, but will technology's most advanced weaponry be enough to destroy Akira -- and is Tetsuo an ever greater threat? The fifth chapter in a sweeping epic of over 2000 pages, Akira vol. 5 is the penultimate act of a mind-blowing graphic-novel masterpiece of awe-inspiring imagination and gut-wrenching power, and the inspiration for the classic Akira animated film. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Preparations Begin For The Final Battle....
With the Psychic powerhouse Akira awakened, the mad Tetsuo becoming more and more powerful by the moment, and the World super-powers massing their fleets just outside of Japan, could things possibly get any worse for the citizens of the ruined Neo-Tokyo? Well.....yeah! Tetsuo is becoming SO powerful, his body is starting to mutate....in some pretty gross ways.

On the flip side, Kaneda, presumed dead, returns, and he has some really great scenes with Kei. Chiyoko and The Colonel also get a chance to shine, and we get some insight into the mind of Lady Miyako. Otomo's art is still great, and the amout of detail he puts into each panel is staggering; It's almost criminal to read the story too fast. You don't want to risk missing ANY of his spectacular linework.

Akira 5 will certainly have you awaiting the final chapter with great anticipation.

THE FINAL BATTLE IS IN SITE!
Well, here we are: One issue away from the last issue.
This is quiet possible the best one in the serias so far. Number 5 is almost completely dedicated to character development. I say "almost" because the issue is bassically our heroes preparing themselves for the final battle and tying up loose ends. The renioun between Kaneada and Kie in the beginning of the issue is heart warming; I especially liked how Kiesuke got in there!:)

Truth be told, there isn't as much action as there was in the others, but who cares? With phenomual character development and story telling, this issue kicks! And Besides, there is a completely PERFECT action sequence early on, which is done very very very VERY well. (For those curious, it involves Kie and the Colonol taking on a bunch of the empire's gun crazy citizens led by the guy in the glasses (I knew he'd come back!) Kaneada and Kiesuke also come in the knick of time on motorcycles)
Another maine character is reintroduced here, and I like him. Remember Joker, the huge and tough looking leader of the Clown gang? When we last saw him in Number One, it looked like he was a goner: after all, a motorcycle tire smashed into his face. But suddenly, he pops up in this one, with a huge tire mark on his face! (I nearly busted a gut when I saw that.) Joker, as said before, is a technical whiz, providing Kaneada and his sidekick Kiesuke with TONS of guns, motorcylces, and equipment. Many chuckles occur when Kaneada and Joker CONSTANTLY argue, often stopping at words and using their fists instead, and poor Kiesuke tries to be the mediator between the two.
Also back for laughs is that nicotine-addicted-doctor, who can basically do anything but will only do it if you get him a ciggarrette ("Do this, Do that! THEN WHAT?And I can't even get a... cigarrette!")

A deleightful issue. I still think that the fight sequence between Kie and Tetuo (GREAT effect with the fighter pilot dangling out of the jet like he was being cruicified) could've been done a tiny bit better. I mean, I liked how the frantic admiral was in the background, ordering his men to "FIR EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT!" at them, but I wish it had been a little longer. But, it WAS choregraphed nicely, and I still love it, but I just wish it had been a tiny bit longer.

All in all, a great set-up to the final battle. Bravo, Katsuhiro Otomo! Well done!

Humongous!!!
Things just keep getting better and better with this story. Tetsuo finds his power manipulates its way out of his body, Kei undergoes massive psychological 'renewal' and Kaneda returns from his 'astral' disappearance. The plot thickens as the U.S. army mingles in the mission to destroy the highly unstable Tetsuo and Akira. Can't wait for the conclusion.
For those of you who have interest in such matters, Kei gets HALF-NEKKID in this one!!!

Amazing
This is not only the longest volume in the series so far, it is also the the best and most pivotal. Characters both new and old are revisited, and IMMENSE character development is undertaken. Since Tetsuo is the main focal point for this volume, the story lets the reader see yet another side to him (as well as a rather grotesque sequence in which his fake arm takes over his body). Also, shockingly enough, Kaneda and Kei *ACTUALLY SHOW FEELINGS FOR ONE ANOTHER*!! And as if THAT wasn't enough, Kaneda's ol' pal Joker shows up again. He's changed sides, however, and reveals that he's a technical whiz, which will undoubtedly come in very handy.

But enough rambling about that. The action is top-notch (as always), as the armies of the world are crouched, muscles tensed, ready to spring at a moment's notice. Kaneda has amassed a small army of his own, and they have already taken the offensive against Tetsuo. Kei undergoes psychic training by the last survivors of the Project, and is preparing to challenge the teenage time bomb herself. The cliffhanger ending shows that the dominoes are set up, needing only the hand to push the first to start the show.

And I know it's going to be a spectacular display.

Greatest Story Ever
Could I give this six stars? When I was 13 I saw AKIRA in my local theater. Needless to say I was blown away and hooked for life. Imagine my surprise when, years later I found out about the manga! For anyone who has seen the movie but not read the manga you are missing out on about 80% of the story (The movie was condensed from over 2000 pages). The manga answers all the questions left from the movie and adds so much more to the story. The artwork is better than the movie even though the book is in black and white. The story and art crackle off of the pages like electricity. Otomo has such an amazing style that he has ruined other comics for me. Nothing quite compares to his mix of technical and human drawing prowess and his storytelling is second to none.
In book 5, the special forces, american Navy, and various cult groups are all after the power of AKIRA even as Tetsuo's power continues to grow. Kaneda, Kei, and the Colonel play bigger roles in book 5, but the real star here is Tetsuo. His powers are immense and the destruction he causes is beyond belief. I wont spoil it for you but beleive me its amazing.
The most enduring quailty of AKIRA for me is the fact that the movies and manga require your attention. This isnt a thrown together story where nothing really holds up, if you think there are plot holes you havent figured the story out. Its expertly crafted by Otoma-san and never strays from his vision. The story of AKIRA is excellence of the highest caliber. I love everything about AKIRA and this book is a testament to that.

This is just my opinion and I happen to be a BIG AKIRA freak. I have the McFarlane toys, three versions of the movie, and even a back up DVD which has never been opened just in case. ... Read more

Book Description

The foundation to drawing a character is the penciled under-drawing. An under-drawing that has somehow gone astray, once penned, ultimately results in artwork that just will not pull together or lacks balance. This volume explains in thorough detail how to handle the pencil, before the pen ever touches the drawing. Using actual examples of how a well or poorly penciled under-drawing can affect the final work, this book passes along many helpful pointers. Use this book to learn the absolute basics of penciled artwork, manga-style! ... Read more

Book Description

This set includes the book How to Draw Manga: Getting Started - with sections on Basics, Characters, Tone, Storytelling, and Backgrounds. Also in the set is 5 sheets of double sided 8 1/2 x 11 3/4paper, black ink illustrations pen, 8" ruler, 2 pencils, eraser, and plastic curve template. The set is packaged in a hard plastic case, good for storage or travel.(****Additional Text****) A Previews Exclusive! Imported from Japan! You've read the books. You've got your ideas ready to run down your arm to the waiting paper... but how do you get started? Graphic Sha and Previews have the answer with the official How to Draw Manga "Getting Started" Illustration Kit! This indispensable kit is perfect for any budding manga-ka to launch their first project, and includes: a copy of the 128-page English-language book, How To Draw Manga: Getting Started featuring informative chapters on "the basics," Characters, Tone, Storytelling, and even backgrounds! PLUS: 10 sheets of 8 ½" x 11 ¾" (A4-size) authentic Deleter brand Manga Illustration Paper, One Deleter Black Ink Illustration Pen, One Deleter brand "Neo-Piko" Color Marker (one pen, TWO tips, thick and thin!), One Plastic Curve Template, an 8" Plastic Ruler, Two Pencils, and an Eraser... all packaged in a durable, hard plastic case, perfect for storage or travel! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Manga Secrets
Good book, but in response to "A Reader" above, about MangaSecrets. The site DOES in fact deliver. If you did not get your product for some reason it simply a case of writing to the support email address? If you know anything about email, you'd know that a large bulk of it is begin deleted by your ISPs before it gets anywhere near you and the product is delivered via email... So *perhaps* that is what happened?.. Anyway just my two cents.

Pretty Good
This is an overall good book for learning perspective except unless you happen to be a professional some of the tools they suggest to create various effects and your supplies consist of a paper and a pencil it doesn't do you a lot of good. One example is when they tell you how to clouds which requires scratching away at your tones. It was greatly helpful in one way in that there was more than I expected on the various point persepectives. For example, when drawing characters of different height, it shows you how to make people not "float" or "sink" on the perspective plane when drawing them. It was also very specific on the relative height of someone to the door or rail, etc. giving exact heights in cm. It's one of those that's very specific for several things so more than likely there'll be a section that's just what you needed: forked roads, bushes..
Most of it wasn't overall wasn't real useful but would have some specific section what was greatly so. I particularly liked the section on where they talk about dividing all people according to a specific head length and "then" dividing it by six or seven head lengths you wanted which is something I would have never thought of.Well, you'd have to see it probably to understand what I'm talking about. The book tells you how to draw peerspectives outside, of stairs, classroom desks inside furniture, streets, below and above buildings etc.
(...)

Awesome!
Anyone who is interested in the world of Manga will LOVE this series of How to Draw books. They have one for everything!

Great for creating outstanding scenery
Having trouble with that woodland scenery? Is your metropolis going crooked with the horizon? Then this book shows the easy tricks of the Manga world to get you going on the right track and in no time you'll be amazed at how easy it is to create those effects that manga fans drool over on the screen! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excellant!
This book taught me how to draw the sometimes complex techniques to drawing the muscles and torso. At last, I can draw men! As far as drawing faces on them, My male characters all end up wearing hockey masks for some reason, lol.

As it has been said before, this book is not really for a beginner.

VALUEBLE
great book!
assuming that you have basic knowledge, this book is great! it shows you how to draw you young people, old people, faces, hair styles , cloth styles good book

An excellent suplement!
This book, like most in Hayashi's "How to Draw Manga" series, is a fabulous suplement to his introductory books. It's not meant to show every detail of drawing, as that's what the basic books are for. However, it does help clearly define the differences between the male and female figures, and goes into detail about male body structures, common design styles and builds.

Excellent reference material, a must have for the anime/manga artist! I know I've inproved since getting it!

Finally, I can draw men!
I've Always had trouble drawing male characters. In fact, Before I got this book, the faces and heads were good, but the bodies looked like cilenders with arms attatched. This book covers every aspect of drawing the male form from the basics of figure drawing, to little details like adding age to a characters features. There is so much to learn about art, but this book simplifies things to the extent where an artist with enough familiarity with the style can refine her or his art many times over.

its not great
I do not own this book... I barrowed it from a freind of mine. It had almost the same thing on every page! i learned 1 skill... how to draw the torso. ... Read more

Book Description

In this volume, Yahiko tries to save a waitress from a yakuza gang, the incredible fighter Raijunta Isurugi defeats the school's master, and Kenshin must use his antiquated swordsmanship to battle Raijunta. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

Rurouni Kenshin Rocks!!!!
Rurouni Kenshin is the best if not one of the best manga/anime ever! Its graphics, story, plot, characters are excellent. I recommend it for children, teenagers, and adults alike. The thing I like most is that it gives a glimpse of japanese history and most of all it gives a statement on good morals and non-violence. Rurouni Kenshin deserves more than 5 stars. Hail to the Nobuhiro Watsuki!!!

Action packed book
I love this book!I want all of them I just wish I hadn't lost this one!It's funny really because I thaught they didn't have volume two here in parkersburg and so I waited until I went to charleston with my friends. Well they had volume 1-13 their. Well a month later I lose the book and they canceled Rurouni Kenshin on Toonami sniff sniff waaaah!So I go to the Waldenbooks here and they had all the Rurouni Kenshin books but couldn't see them!So I got volume3 and now I need $10.00 more dollars so I can buy volume2 again!
Your Friend,
New Rurouni Kenshin Fan

kenshin is a pimp!
rurrouni kenshin is my favorite manga! even my teacher reads it it is about a wandering samurai that used to kill and earned his name hitokairi battosai his name comes from the fact hes mastered everything that battojutsu has to offer num.1 introduces it and if you watch the show you know his favorite word is oro the graphic novel is the best cus it is uneddited unlike the show on cartoonnetworkso buy this trust you can sue me if you dont like it.

Orororororo
I first got into RK by watching the first OVA epdisode, I was like amazed how well the animation was.And then I started to watching and reading the anime/manga.I'm 23, and I haven't read/watch anime/manga for a looong time... this book made me laughed.I mean it's a very well designed character that helps kids understand you don't have to be bad to be cool.And I just love the fact they make Kenshin somewhat serious and then suddenly "oro" and gets whack by Karou is just too cute not to laugh.I feel this is very fun and educational to read for both kids and adults.

Kenshin volume 1.
I loved this book it got me hooked and now i have volumes 1-12 of them.Most volume 1 of books are boring but not this one.You'll be hooked after this one i guarente it.It is about Himura Kenshin better know as Hitokiri Battosai.Kenshin is a wanderer repenting for the lives he killed in the revolution turning away from his past. As he is traveling in Tokyo he runs into a girl named Karou who acuses him of being the Battosaiwhen she sees him carrying a sword.She draws his sword to find out its a reverse blade.Just then there is a big comomtion. The fake battosai has struck! Karou tries to stop him but is injured.Shes about to about to die when Kenshin saves her. Later on Kenshin reveals himself to be the real Battosai. Beating (not killing) his oppents.The fake battosai returns hiring Sano to beat Kenshin.The battle begins.It leaves u on a cliffhanger so u have to buy vol. 2 wich is even better! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The shame to the "How to Draw Manga" series
I feel that I'm a decent manga artist, but unfortunely I am unable to link to my artwork as a demonstration due to guidelines. I have 3 other books which are How to Draw manga for Male Characters, Female Characters, and Bishoujo Around the World. I was impress with all three of them, but with Bodies and Anatomy I was extremely disappointed.

First of all, other than a very few anime pictures, it does not even feel like an manga book at all. Like what someone else mentioned, it doesn't even have manga proportions. The book might as well not have manga in the title and I still wouldn't be able to tell that this was a manga book.

I was completely fooled by the cover of the book. The drawings inside do not even match the quality of the cover. The bodies on the cover are manga, the bodies within the book are not! Previous How to Draw Manga books had similarities with the cover and the content inside. At the end of the book, there is also no individual drawings from various artist.

The written information provided with the drawings are subpar when compared to the other 3 Manga books that I've mentioned earlier. Sometimes it goes into useless details and other times, it there isn't enough description. For example, it throws a few pictures of the ear and then the nose, but never says a single word about it. I would have liked for it to at least mentioned how it compare and contrast from human to anime form. Again, the other manga books mentioned the difference and similarities.

Also I have to question the source of the book as well. Almost every other How to Draw Manga book has a japanese author, but this one does not. It's source is 'The Society for the Study of Manga Techniques'. I can only guess that its origin is nonjapanese and it shows just like every other nonjapanese How to Draw Anime type book out there. Something is wrong if an amateur artist like myself can draw equal or better than what is provided in the book.

I would have returned the book the same day I received it if it weren't for the fact that the shipping to return it is almost half the cost of the book. In the end, I feel very cheated and do not want others to be fooled in the same way. An unforunate lesson I learn from this is that you can't judge a book by its cover.

Anatomically, not politically, correct.
I found this book to be helpful only in its images of the human body and skeletal/muscular structures. Through these pictures I was able to improve my ability to accurately depict the human body knowing where certain bones and muscles are located.
HOWEVER, once you turn past the pages depicting the basics of human anatomy, the book goes rotten. I know from reading both manga and 'how to draw manga' books that often the focus is placed more on the female body in Japanese cartoons. In this volume, I found the focus despicable. My biggest problem with this is that the male body is ALWAYS shown wearing a pair of shorts, whereas the author of this book feels it completely unnecessary to provide images of the female body at all clothed. There is an incredible gap between the amount of female and male depictions in this book, the former being more abundant. If you are looking for pictures of women naked in all positions, including splits and other acrobatic poses, then read away. However I found this book sexist- I don't have a problem with naked people, but if you're going to do that then at least do it with equality and provide images of both the female AND male bodies in the nude. At points it felt like I was reading a pornographic magazine! I'm even thinking of writing a letter to the Society for the Study of Manga Techniques.
Overall, the book was slightly helpful but mostly disgusting. I'd recommend looking through it at a bookstore before purchasing.

It's better then you think
Ok, so this isn't the best How to Draw Manga book in the series, but I found it very useful. Sure you won't find any fancy tips on inking with your pens, or how to draw costumes. What you will get is some great poses and gestures. It is an Anatomy and Body book. It helps explain the placement of all the major muscle groups, and how they affect the body when in certain stances and poses. This is great for things like action sequenses, building up that tension in the bicep and tricep as the character strikes the opponent. Good reference for drawing that perfect body shape in proportion and in gestures. Perfect for action Manga type artists.

It all depends on WHT you are looking for
How to Draw Manga: Bodies & Anatomy is a Great Book eh hear that HOW TO DRAW MANGA! Bodies & Anatomy. If your looking for some thing better or to advance you skills in drawing then find another Book, But if yur the Manga drawing type then this is the book for you maybe not all depends on the person. Art/drawing is unlimited and you have so many ways of drawing. Thank You

Not really a good choice
This book really isn't that much of a help. They just show nude figures! Use Christopher Hart books or something else less pointless. Whatever the book is really about, it focuses more on the "main" parts. It's a big piece of junk. That's my main point. ... Read more

Book Description

While one would think undergarments are standard fixtures on manga characters, they can be unexpectedly tricky for artists to draw. This book includes more than 4,000 illustrations showing details of these garments worn on a figure in addition to a detailed history of intimate apparel. Moreover, it enables the reader to make practical use of the illustrations provided to create easily their own fantasy costume designs. This volume is chock full of ideas ready for use! ... Read more

Book Description

Author Masashi Kishimoto made his debut in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999 with Naruto, which won the Hop Step Award. Naruto must pass the difficult test to enter the Ninja Academy; deal with his rival, Konohamaru; and learn to get along with his new classmates, Sasuke and Sakura. Assigned to a three-person team, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura must survive a brutal test against their upper-level ninja instructor, Kakashi. Only two can pass — will Naruto be one of them? ... Read more

Reviews (41)

Excellent - Surprising on many levels!
I normally don't read shonen (boys) manga, because it just isn't my thing. BUT...after a friend loaned me this first volume, I couldn't get enough! There's a lot of character development and back story packed into this manga. The students grow and change, becoming more mature as the volumes progress.

There's a good mix of action scenes and plot movement, so I think it's safe to say that there's something for just about everyone in the Naruto manga (it even has a lot of female fans!). The battles are interesting in that your favorite character (or the one who seems most likely to win) may not win. The use of extreme force is often balanced by the fact that it's a severe drain on the user. The characters need to think quickly and choose which fighting form is appropriate to the given situation, rather than just rush in haphazardly.

But all that is, in my mind, secondary to the interesting characters present in the manga. Many of them have elaborate backstories which serve to bring this story to life.

The only downside is that one of the main females is rather...well...useless. But I have a feeling that will change as she learns and grows from the trials presented her.

I can't recommend this manga highly enough!

Naruto no jutsu!
Wow! Naruto is here in the U.S!! I would recommend Naruto to everyone!

At first i didn't take naruto very serious, hearing thats it's a shounen anime/manga (meaning it mainly captures male viewers/readers), but once i gave it a chance, i fell in love!

Naruto is truly a great series, one of the best in fact. Both the anime and Manga are simply too great! The anime follows the manga so much, your actually reading the manga as u watch the anime. Although the manga is way ahead of the anime, i still watch it. I can watch and read naruto so many times and it will never bore me.

I'm usually the type of person who likes to read mangas that have good plots. Not some long running plot that won't go anywhere for the longest time. Naruto; however, is long but the story keeps getting better. Thats the glory of it! :D

So what are you waiting for?! go buy/watch/read Naruto! Do anything as long as u get naruto in ur system!

oh by the way, i agree with nathan, if Masashi kishimoto approved the translation, it's ok with me! i actually think it's not that bad. :)

I've watched the Anime and read the Manga...
And I'm telling you, it's worth every penny! The fansubs are still out there, and I'm up-to-date with episode 90, and I've read the first and second Mangas. This series is an amazing feat of work and creativity!

Naruto, a boy with the spirit of a Kitsune inside him, struggles to become the greatest Ninja ever! Action-packed, humorous, you'll laugh... you'll cry...you'll be very glad you bought this!

Good Book, translation frustrated.
I've read the home translated comics and they are far better than these ones. The books are great but i really wished they had have used the same names for the techniques that they did in the japanese ones.

good transalation of a great manga
first of all this manga is great.ive already read up to vol 23 in jappaneese. anyway i decided to check out the transaltions for the us version and they (shonen jump)transalated it pretty good.except they did change the jutus names a little(kage bushin no jutsu now dopplegangers)but other than that they did an alright job. ... Read more

Book Description

This book shows the techniques for drawing charming feminine characters and fully explains a woman's range of poses and the expression of the bodyline.Also, clothes, accessories, make-up, and various other materials and how they rest on the body are thoroughly explained. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Firefly Review
As the cover suggests, this book has a very mature theme. This book does not show you how to draw pretty girls; rather it is a book for those who already know how to draw them. There is a very useful series on a comparison between the adult and girlish figure, a page at the end of each chapter. However, there is nudity (you will see nipples) and many shots from underneath a short skirt so that you can get a good view of the underwear. Like the other titles in the how to draw manga series, this is a high quality book, with an excellent translation job and great pictures. This is not a step by step book.
This book has five chapters:

1. Roundness and Curves: A short chapter on presenting a female character in an alluring way.

2. See-through Garments and Suggesting the Body Under Clothing: Pretty much what the title suggests, this long chapter covers all sorts of materials and how they appear on the body. This section covers a detailed section on how to express transparent clothing with screen tones, or wet clothes clinging to the body. It also has some odd things like wrapping the body in ribbon, and oiled or metallic skin. The fetish and bondage fashions aren't so bad, just weird. The best part is that they show you materials like leather, rubber and stretch, and how to draw them on the body.

3. Accentuating Particular Body Parts: Starting with a sexy picture of a gorgeous manga girl titled: women are beauty incarnate; this section goes through all the parts of the body and how to express them with their own particular accessories.( Hands, arms, the nape, the back, feet etc..) This is my favorite part!

4. Attention-getting Poses and Situations: Goes through all sorts of poses and ideas for drawing characters in striking ways. This part covers jumping over fences, kissing or biting things, putting on make-up, etc. There is, of course, a part on the ever popular sailor suit, and its styles. Also, a not so useful part on what to wear under a bathing suit is also included.

5. Learn From the Pros: This last chapter has four complete artworks with a commentary and the rough sketch included. They are not cutesy pictures, but I like them al the same. The FETISH FRIENDS picture is beautifully drawn despite its controversial theme. It is a picture of two girls, one girl with her hand on the other girl's nude breast both of them with veeeery happy expressions on their faces, if you know what I mean.

This book is for advanced artists. If you don't get any use from it immediately, it will come in handy in the future as your skill improves.

More good than it is bad..
I bought this book in October and when I'm having difficulty drawing some body part or another I can always refer to this book. It covers ways to make the hands, feet, back, neck, breasts, and waist look good. i've always found hands and feet to be two of my trouble spots when it comes to drawing manga, so this was helpful. I do have to say that there is quite a bit of nudity in the book and a few things that would not be appropriate for someone under age 13 (bondage fashions, see through clothing...) So if you're thinking to buy this as a gift, be sure the recipient is at least 13.

Very helpful book
I found this book very useful for shading and drawing various parts of the body. I also liked the section on hands, because I'm not very good at drawing them. The section on drawing backs was also helpful. by the way, I AM a girl, and yes I found every aspect of this book helpful in some way or another. I don't believe that the other female reviewers I noticed had a very good idea of how much you can learn from this book...

Excellent Resource Book For Those Experienced In Art Basics
First off, do not, I repeat, DO NOT let the nudity turn you off to this book; most of it is in the vein of Playboy rather than hardcore skin flicks. Let's be realistic, when a book's main focus is the female form, seeing a girl's birthday suit is expected. All of the naked bodies are not gratuitous, but necessary for learning the subject. But, to each his/her own.

For the mature, knowledgable artist, this book has many wonderful sections dedicated to drawing such difficult clothing materials as leather, rubber, jeans, and others. Hayashi also goes over the subtle, sexy things about drawing a pretty gal: the nape of the neck, the back, etc. Works from well known artists are displayed in the back of the book (including "Fetish Friends") which show the genesis of the drawing all the way to the finished product.

In short, I would not recommend buying this book for a young teenager, but for the grown up artist who has the desire to improve their skills for creating sexy women (even it involves looking at a set of breasts or two.)

Not a good buy
If you actually want to draw pretty females, then find some other book: this one is just an excuse to leer at the naked girls printed, not a real handbook to actually learn to draw. ... Read more

Book Description

In the 21st century, the glittering Neo-Tokyo has risen from the rubble of a Tokyo destroyed by an apocalyptic telekinetic blast from a young boy called Akira -- the subject of a covert government experiment gone wrong now imprisoned in frozen stasis. But Tetsuo, an angry young man with immense and rapidly growing psychic abilities, has done the unthinkable: he has released Akira and set into motion a chain of events that could once destroy the city and drag the world to the brink of Armageddon. Resistance agents and an armada of government forces race against the clock to find the child with godlike powers before his unthinkable destructive abilities are unleashed! One of the true international classics of graphic fiction and unavailable for nearly a decade in America, Akira has once again taken America by storm, its first Dark Horse volume selling out almost overnight in comic shops and bookstores across the country! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Still very good
They throw a lot of new characters at you in this one, and it can be hard to keep up. But hang in there and read it twice if you have to. I can't wait until I can get the next one, because the ending if (almost literally!) da bomb.

The Saga Continues
If you know of the Akira Anime this Manga should be of no surprise; however, there are some definite differences that will become evident upon reading. 1st off the anime is way way shorter and edited to such an extent that most casual watchers are left feelin confused. These books will clear up any problems you may have had with the movie and expand upon the foundation the movie laid out. Be aware these books not in color.

The Middle-Chapter Blues
Volume Three of Katsuhiro Otomo's epic sci-fi saga finds the newly awakened Akira being pursued by Kei and Kaneda, the Army, Nazu's militant faction, weirdly-powered flying children, strange Government robots, etc.

After being freed from his cryogenic sleep by Tetsuo in the last volume, Akira is still groggy, and so we really don't get any insight into his character, and he doesn't become an active participant in the story until the very end of the book. What an ending, though! After this, the series spins off into totally unexpected territory. This volume seemed like mostly filler, though. The story is basically just a lot of people playing "keepaway" with Akira; He's stolen from Kaneda by the flying kids, Nazu snatches him from the flying kids, etc. Like most long stories (In any medium), the middle lags.

Otomo's art continues to be mind-boggling. The amount of detail in every panel is incredible, and you could just linger over the art all day. Even at three stars, Akira 3 is better than most other comics....

Akira, A Masterpiece!
The third volume in the Akira series is just like all the other volumes, magnificent. Although this is the shortest installment of the Akira series, at 282 pages, it's still great. I highly recomend
this book to any anime, sci-fi, or manga fan. If you want a good read get this book.

A Masterpiece Continues to Unfold...
Why on earth are people so concerned with the number of pages? Who cares?!! This third installment of the series is by far the most emotionally and graphically charged part of the story to date. The characters and the complex web of fate that entwines them are explored in much greater depth. The political factions and their agendas are brought to light. Relationships develop between the characters and new characters shed a whole new light on understanding the world of Neo-Tokyo and its political climate. In general the story takes focus and burns a hole right through to the last page as Akira and his devastating power "awaken". Graphically stunning. An epic story that continues to grow in scope. Unbelievable. Otomo is an unrivaled master of the medium. ... Read more