20th Century Boys, Vol. 9

20th Century Boys [20世紀少年] #9

by Naoki Urasawa

Dopo il tragico gioco virtuale che ha visto protagonista l’adolescente Kyoko Koizumi, torneremo sulle strade della Tokyo del 2014, dove Kana decide di affrontare a viso aperto l'Amico e tutti coloro che le danno una caccia estenuante. Ma per far questo ha bisogno di molto aiuto… Questi gli elementi contenuti nel nuovo numero di “20th Century Boys”, lo stupendo manga realizzato dal geniale Naoki Urasawa.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Science Fiction, Mystery, Seinen, Graphic Novels, Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 2002

About the author

Urasawa Naoki (浦沢直樹) is a Japanese mangaka. He is perhaps best known for Monster (which drew praise from Junot Díaz, the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner) and 20th Century Boys.

Urasawa's work often concentrates on intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, a deep focus on character development and psychological complexity. Urasawa has won the Shogakukan Manga Award, the Japan Media Arts Festival excellence award, the Kodansha Manga Award and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 2008 Urasawa accepted a guest teaching post at Nagoya Zokei University.

Series list (not including short stories collections):
- Pineapple ARMY (パイナップルARMY) 1985-1988, written by Kazuya Kudo;
- YAWARA! 1986-1993;
- Master Keaton (MASTERキートン) 1988-1994, written by Hokusei Katsushika;
- Happy! 1993-1999
- MONSTER 1994-2001
- 20th Century Boys (20世紀少年) 1999-2006
- 21st Century Boys (21世紀少年) 2007
- PLUTO 2003-2009, based on Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atom
- BILLY BAT 2008-2016
- Master Keaton Remaster (MASTERキートン Reマスター) 2012-2014
- Mujirushi (夢印-MUJIRUSHI-) 2017-2018, collaboration with Musée du Louvre
- Asadora! (連続漫画小説 あさドラ!) 2018-ongoing

Reviews

[Tawfek · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an idiot! It was the first thing that came to mind, when the assassin mentioned the holy mother, and he didn't know what it meant of course, its Kanna's mother, you don't even need to think to figure this one out, but what does the script mean by bring with her heaven or hell?
- May i pursue my conspiracy theory further? and say that she will bring forth the identity of friend to light, and that we are not to be happy with the outcome?!
I would like to talk about details, i am one of the slowest readers out there, but its mainly because i care about the details, and i don't like to leave a passage that needs deep thought without giving it just that, and in a manga where the text most of the time is not vast like novels, or most of comics really, the details are most of the time in the art, because i think in manga the art has most of the unspoken details, so you should really give it a thorough look and enjoy the art.
20th century boys art is one of the best i have perceived in manga so far, its really clear in this issue where you have a place filled to the prim, and then some more with people, and all the faces are unique even the people in the back, they all look different its insane! i don't know how berserk or gantz or 20th century boys did it, and kept doing that for the time they ran.
So many great manga out there and so little time, specially with all the things i am interested in doing.
Kanna really takes after kenji, most of her expressions look exactly like his, specially after his store got burned and he lived underground, the tough indifferent confident look on his face she got it all in spades, i fucking love kanna she is my 20th century boys crush, and the is competition yukiji when she was younger, and kyoko are really great as well, but kanna is just angelic.
You always forget to talk about the first half of these 200 pages manga volumes and i almost did!
It was magical seeing yoshitsune trying to talk to kyoko, and his younger self in the virtual reality and trying to save her, even though i thought he might be programmed to prevent her from looking at his face, but then he went ahead and took off his mask anyway, the look on her face told a whole different story! she knew that person and she was surprised who is he?
This mystery will be the death of me but i welcome death.
Even though the mention of the woodstock rock festival, the festival of love and peace was brief, but i remember that day i stopped reading, and googled the festival read a little about it and the singers who performed even the ones who were invited and didn't come, i love that getting to know stuff like that which i might not be interested in, but they are part of history!
Imagine that vast number of people gathered in the same place for one thing, in these horrible conditions and they made it work!
Also what about the best game of rabbit nabokov ever? which might be fiction but it was so good i was on the edge of my seat while reading it! ended unceremoniously but i loved it nonetheless.
My heart breaks for how this group of friends wasted their lives, pursuing this goal of saving the world, if it was me i would have given up the first time i lost, but not them not any of them! maybe the loss of lives played a huge part in that, they had already lost people they loved so much, and it was out of their hands, you can't do anything but continue the fight for those who passed away.
If i was paying enough attention, yukiji said that one day mon chan disappeared where did he go, and when will he decide to come back, or at least the revelation of his fate be told?!
Who wrote the new book of prophecy, isn't this truly insane? it was like 2002 or 2005 i think, when the book was written, so if the first book which all its events came true was written by kenji, even though Friend who knew about the book, might have enforced the events and made them all come true, but its really hard for this to happen again right?
What if and i know i made many hypothesis about this already, kenji somehow can really predict the future, and he made the first book of prophecy, he made the new book of prophecy. which is now coming true as well, you can say a robot will attack and then go make the robot, but you cant say this group of people which you don't have anything to do with their movements, do exactly that in the time and place you specified, that really takes someone who knows the future! so my final words, i ll add to my theory that kenji can tell the future he is some kind of ESP, like kanna is and he made the new book and he is in fact friend...

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The savior rises...but it's not who you expected.

The first part deals with the "Friends" and the "game" and we get a weird, creepy, and kind of quick ending. But then we get back to Kanna and her mission to clear her uncles name and stop the friends. This is probably the most fun as we see Kanna take complete lead and use her skills to strike back. A little gambling, a little rebellion, and someone trying to shoot down the savior, we have a pretty explosive volume here.

While it is slow at times, and was worried I wouldn't get completely sucked into it half way through, the ending ramped it up and made this volume great. The ending left me going "What the fuck now?" and so I'm back in. A 4 out of 5.

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

We get a new prophecy which helps move the plot along. Probably not as good as some of the previous novels but ends on a good note.

[Christina Pilkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't love this volume as much as Vol 8, but it was still a fun read!

The whole Kanna casino story line didn't interest me as much, although I'm now more curious than ever about her special abilities and how she acquired them. And I wished we would have stayed longer with Kyoko in Friendland.

Well, on to volume 10...

[Anthony Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things really begin to pickup with the reveal of "The New Book of Prophesy," we aren't sure who wrote it or where it came from but Mon-Chan stumbled upon a few pages of it and we find out some startling things that are prophesied to unfold. I can see many readers becoming frustrated by this point with this "New Book," meaning the story will probably get dragged out even longer and we still don't know who "Friend" is, but I see it as an opportunity to get to know the characters more and more drama and suspense by the master Urasawa.

Kanna takes center stage in this volume, turning a casino upside down and introducing all of us to a crazy Russian card game, I believe that was invented by Urasawa, called "Rabbit Nabakov." A lot happens here in this volume, Kyoko sees the face under the mask, Kanna plays Rabbit Nabokov gives the Thai and Chinese mafia a fortune to join forces against "Friend," the yakuza priest in Shinjuku takes Kanna's confession, the New Book of Prophecy is revealed, Otcho jumps through windows literally to save "The Last Hope," and we hear the first mention of the Holy Mother.

Things are getting VERY VERY INTERESTING! So many cliffhangers that keep me coming back for more to see where the next piece of the jigsaw puzzle will fit.

[library ghost (farheen)]

(3.5)

[Adam Spanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 9 of "20th Century Boys" is a Kanna-driven storyline that gives us an idea that she is a special person who has special abilities. Not only is she clairvoyant but she also has the similar ability of the Friend, that she can also bend spoons at will. But as she tries her best to create a crowd to protect the pope from assassination, a new prophecy is revealed and speculation of who will be the savior and who will be assassinated.

As always, Naoki Urasawa knows how to grab the attention of the reader. His artwork and how he is able to capture the sense of action and emotion through the pages is magnificent and so far, this series has been engrossing and highly enjoyable thus far.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das Attentat-Finale. Atemberaubend erzählt, meisterhafter Umgang mit Erzälzeit und Rhythmus zur Spannungssteigerung.

[Derek Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The turn from the previous volume comes to (some) fruition here, only to come back to Kanna. For some reason, in the earlier volumes that concerned her, I found her evolution slow-building in places. That’s not the case here. And although a bit far-fetched in places, Kanna’s story in this volume is definitely mesmerizing.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

February 11, 2018: Kanna brings both Chinese and Thai mafias together to build her own army and fight against Friend. But there is danger lurking among the crowd.

[Andria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much needed new objective in this volume.

[Kesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense!

[Tyrone Tjon-A-Loi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally forgot how great this series is. Must read for everyone who’s into manga. ✌🏽

[yel ᰔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars

[Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hard bet

[Rahul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The new book of prophecy is out and things are more and more fucked.

[Scott Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic volume. This volume feels like the pace will pick up again--it's honestly been lagging with the addition of the 2015 plot line several volumes ago. Once that was introduced, it didn't matter--at least to me--how much action there might be in the past, the present timeline needed to move forward for the story to feel like it was moving. Action-packed flashbacks are nice, but when there's a timeline further along the chronology than the others that isn't really moving it just doesn't feel like the story's moving so I'm glad to see this volume pick up the pace.

[Jamil · Rating 3 out of 5]

The previous volume was a momentum killer for me, focusing too much on a side character that I cared nothing about. I'm sick of the persistence of the "Who is the Friend?" revelation tease. So much so that I've had these next four volumes sitting on my shelf for months, unread. This volume at least seems to get back on a forward moving path. No more Nikki & Paolo moves, Urasawa. Wrap this sh-t up!

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this volume: Kyoko sees the face under the mask; Kanna plays Rabbit Nabokov for real; the yakuza priest in Shinjuku; the New Book of Prophecy; Otcho is a badass old guy; first mention of the Holy Mother.

I especially loved Kanna's bluff, Otcho's entrance, the force-quit jokes, and the way that Kenji is a ghost presence around the entire volume, both in Hanging Hill and in Kanna's memory.

[CountZeroOr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, Naoki Urasawa keeps finding new shoes to drop on the reader. I feel safe saying that he writes suspense fiction on par with any big-name writer of suspense fiction on the New York Times Best-Seller List.

[Kurage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, haven't read something this good for a while *_*

[Julie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Koizumi was sent to Friend Land because of her desire to write her paper on Bloody New Year’s Eve, although she tried to change her subject but was not allowed to. There she discovers that people who do not conform disappear. And just what is Friend World? Can it be worse than this? She learns that being sent to Friend World is not something anyone wants. Koizumi is shocked to learn one of the janitors is none than Yoshitsune, one of the Kenji Faction and long presumed to be deceased. He warns her that if she flunks out of Friend Land she will be sent to Friend World, so she has to do well. When she places in the top three, she finds herself in the past, where she meets the Kenji Faction as children. She thinks this is her opportunity to get to the bottom of things, but Yoshitsune is afraid she will see the Friend’s actual face… and be killed for that knowledge. He must stop that from happening!

When Kanna finds a token, her friend Mariah explains that it comes from the Casino. Remembering her uncle Kenji’s stories about the Woodstock experience, Kanna decides to make a lot of money, using her unusual talents, in order to do what must be done. She and Mariah and Chono head to the Casino. She starts off winning a little, but decides that method is too slow. That’s when someone tells her about a game with great risks but enormous payoffs, known as Rabbit Nabokov.

Yukiji learns of the crowd that is gathering because someone is allegedly giving out money. But Yukiji remembers what was said in the Book of Prophecy: “At the meeting a savior will rise up for the forces of good…but the savior will be assassinated.” Both Yukiji and Otcho race to the scene of the meeting, hoping to prevent that from happening. Can they outrun Fate?

Things are really getting exciting, what with Koizumi undercover at Friend Land, and Kanna raising awareness to prevent the assassination of the Pope. Otcho comes out of hiding and we now know that Yoshitsune is still alive. Can we hope that Kenji’s arrival is imminent, or is that expecting too much? And yet, he has been the leader all along, the voice crying in the wilderness. I’m going to cross my fingers and keep on believing!

Also, look for someone we’ve often wondered about but never really met to make an unexpected appearance at the end of this volume! Can’t wait for the next one!

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review of the entire series.

Synopsis: Humanity, having faced extinction at the end of the 20th century, would not have entered the new millennium if it weren't for them. In 1969, during their youth, they created a symbol. In 1997, as the coming disaster slowly starts to unfold, that symbol returns. This is the story of a gang of boys who try to save the world. Failed rock musician Kenji's memories of his past come rushing back when one of his childhood friends mysteriously commits suicide. Could this new death be related to the rise of a bizarre new cult that's been implicated in several other murders and disappearances? Determined to dig deeper, Kenji reunites with some of his old buddies in the hope of learning the truth behind it all.

Review: This is basically the manga equivalent of a Stephen King novel, channeling themes and plot devices from the likes of It, Dreamcatcher, The Running Man and quite a few others. A young group of friends that make an innocent promise which ends up creating the most dangerous cult in the world, a 'friend' turned into the world's greatest evil, a strange suicide that reunites a group of adults to solve a mystery from their childhood which ended up leading to an apocalyptic police state, clever use of cultural references, rock songs and historical allegories to tell the full story, extremely small actions resulting in extremely massive consequences, an eerie threat lurking in the shadows that may or may not be of supernatural origins, kids overthrowing a totalitarian regime and rebelling against society while fighting against a sinister threat that no one else knows about; sound King enough for ya?

Though I don't think it's quite as good as Monster by the same author, it's definitely very close. It's a masterpiece of intricate plotting, interweaving narratives, deep character development and psychological complexity. The villain's presence is suffocating from the very beginning while remaining mysterious and terrifying until the final chapter. It's intense, it's relatable, it's horrifying and it's an emotional rollercoaster. Be careful who you call your friend and be careful of the promises you make. You might just end up causing the end of the world.

[Adam Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite aspects of this series has been one that would have been Extremely Frustrating if I'd been reading these books as they came out. I'm really enjoying how none of the volumes have traditional endings, either arc endings or cliffhangers. Up until book seven, each volume ended with the introduction of a new character or story idea that would be integral to the plot moving forward. They weren't just plopped down for a last page reveal, we'd get a whole chapter about them, having no idea how they would later fit into the story. It's fun, and it's kept me invested on following the story.

In this volume, we seem to complete the Friendland story, and weave together two of the prominent 2014 storylines with a new storyline, where we see another member of the 1997-2000 storyline pop back into the main narrative.

I just really love the world building (not the world, per se, I don't want to live in a world with The Friend) in this series, and can't wait to see where it's going next.

[Florencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

20th Century Boys, Band 9
4.5 ★
Leído: 02.02.23

La historia de Kanna está tomando fuerza al igual que su rebelión contra "Friend", siguiendo los pasos de su tío Kenji.

Recordando un evento de los primeros tomos, se nos revela una habilidad especial de Kanna, que le será muy útil a la hora de conseguir adeptos para defender al Papa y derrocar el gobierno de "Friend", a la vez que limpiar el nombre de su tío.

También tenemos el reencuentro de algunos personajes, que protegerán a Kanna a toda costa.

Una nueva y peligrosa profecía se manifiesta.

Este tomo me gustó mucho, parte con un tono oscuro y terrible, cerrando la historia del tomo anterior, para luego retomar a Kanna como protagonista en un ambiente de rebelión y conspiraciones, como viene siendo su arco desde hace varios capítulos. Me encanta como protagonista, es una chica fuerte y con convicción, pero sigue siendo inocente e impulsiva en ocasiones. Se logra una dualidad perfecta para una chica que ha sufrido tanto a su corta edad.

[M. Ashraf · Rating 4 out of 5]

20th Century Boys
Rabbit Nobokov
Volume #9

- "Don't Look" (見ちゃいけない, Mitcha ikenai)
- "Nightmare" (悪夢, Akumu)
- "Real Fight" (本気勝負, Honki shōbu)
- "Rabbit Nabokov" (ラビット・ナボコフ, Rabitto Nabokofu)
- "ESP" (超能力, Chōnōryoku)
- "Confessions" (告白, Kokuhaku)
- "The New Book of Prophecy" (しんよげんの書, Shin'yogen no sho)
- "On the Pulpit" (壇上, Danjō)
- "Savior" (救世主, Kyūseishu)
- "The Assassination" (暗殺の時, Ansatsu no toki)
- "The Assassin's Bullet" (凶弾の時, Kyodan no toki)

Another great volume!
We got this close again to see Friend
The New Book of Prophecy is something!
Kana is our hope;
Did the assassination of the savior failed ? is the new book of prophecy not that accurate ? the decent of the holy mother will it be ?

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to space out my reading of this series because I thought that reading a long running manga volume by volume would be a nice change of pace from the things I usually read. Unfortunately, I think I've waited too long between volumes and have sort of lost the plot. I still find the story to be entertaining and volumes 6 through 9 definitely have a lot of action but I miss the slice of life feelings I had when I first started the series. I also ended up watching "The Great Escape" because Urasawa references it and my childhood memory of it is completely different from reality, I had always remembered it having a much happier ending.

[Zare · Rating 5 out of 5]

With help from Yoshitsune (Captain), Koizumi makes her way in the indoctrination camp to the extra level in virtual reality test. But here lies a great danger that Captain identifies at the last moment, danger so great that he knows Koizumi's life is in danger.

On the other end Kanna tries to organize the resistance and she decides to play big in order to gather sufficient forces. And here her strange abilities will start to manifest. World is in balance because it seems that Expo in Tokyo 2015 and place where Pope will visit will be a place of great bloodshed.

Art is always gorgeous.

Highly recommended.

[Dani Wladdimiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tomar la decisión de matar a Kenji, hace sentir que todo es posible, así mismo como la incertidumbre si Otcho va a morir o si Kanna morirá. Termina todo en mas preguntas que respuestas, nuevamente, donde hubo todo un montaje en el casino que lo sentía un poco innecesario, pero entiendo que era la vía para finalmente llegar al objetivo mayor. Kanna tiene tremendos ovarios, y vaya que tiene esa garra de echarle para adelante y cumplir su objetivo. Si será el camino acertado o no, lo sabremos más adelante.

[Lucas Yahiko Madley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 8.7/10 (actual rating ★★★★½), very great volume. Seeing the new book prophecy unfold was just pure chaos and a great way to bring ocho kana and Yukiji along with their stories as well, I will say some aspects just makes me question, but I still understand that it's still just a fictional story and it doesn't have to be realistic judging by reality by the card game etc and how kana got a mass mob, but that's more of me not urasawa ability to write. Beautiful though and only reason I couldn't give it anything higher is because it just wasn't on that level it's just as simple as that.