20th Century Boys, Vol. 14

20th Century Boys [20世紀少年] #14

by Naoki Urasawa

Un gran ritorno per i nostri protagonisti nel 1971 attraverso il gioco virtuale di Amicoland. Per Kyoko si tratta di un’esperienza conosciuta, ma per Yoshitsune è un’esperienza unica per rivedere sé stesso e gli altri “Ragazzi del Ventesimo Secolo” da bambini. Il confine tra realtà e finzione si fa ancora più sottile…

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

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2003

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]

I have read this volume faster than any other so far.
For some reason, i really wanted to know what donkey saw in the science room.
And that's why i never stopped after 50 pages like i usually do.
Friend is back with the famous look the full face cover.
We are not sure yet how? and it feels like he looks slightly bigger than what fukubei used to be!
What donkey saw in the science room was a trick the three kids (yamane, fukubei, sadakiyo) came up with, to make fukubei look like he is hanged, and then he comes back to life, but he was never hanged, donkey is amazing he saw through their trick, and that's why they wanted to hurt him.
We also see kind of a 2 short origin stories for God, and Manjoume inshou, where god was actually the evil emperor who built the bowling alley on the field where they built their base!
While manjoume inshou was the spoon bender who probably taught fukubei, and that was his relation to him, and how they met, we don't know much about that yet, and i hope they tell the rest of the story how they met exactly.
It was very emotional for me seeing young yushitsune, trying to build the base by himself to attract his friends back, one of the most emotional scenes in the volume, And then there was the donkey scene when he was talking with kana being all logical and stuff, that was really good too and emotional for us knowing his end, Also the kana/kenji hug 😥, almost forgot about the yushitsune/mon chan scene!
Also i really wanted for this volume to contain a talk between father fukubei and daughter kanna, but we didn't get that! but its okay i guess... i wonder if we will ever get this conversation!
An emotional roller-coaster of a volume really.

[yel ᰔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 of 5 stars

[Adam Spanos · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems that I tend to always say with each review that each volume of "20th Century Boys" gets better and better, but its the truth. Naoki Urasawa is a wonderful mangaka and along with his wonderful artwork, his stories are well-crafted and he knows how to entice the readers with suspense.

Volume 14 is primarily a Yoshitsune, Kyoko and Kanna as they enter the virtual world of 1971, to find out that the virtual world is modeled exactly as things were back then. In other words, it's more than just the virtual world, it's like they are going back in time.

But what makes this volume a bit different from the past volumes is the fact that it gets into more character development of Yoshitsune's character. We know that Yoshitsune was the shy boy of the group but what we don't know is that there was a time when all friends of Kenji ended up going their own different direction because their hideout was destroyed. The big reveal was who was responsible for the hideout being destroyed and of course, later in the chapters, what took place inside the laboratory when Donkey jumped off the school building after his encounter of whatever inside the lab.

In a way, this latest volume is slightly emotional was Yoshitsune realized that as a child, he was literally forgotten by his friends as they all went on to do things on their own. May it be work at their family's store or had different interest but for Yoshitsune, the hideout was the string that brought everyone together and just reliving the pain that he once had to go through, and then meeting with a young version of himself was touching.

Also, to see Kanna go back and meet people of that time period including a younger version of her Uncle Kenji and Donkey.

There are a few major questions that were answered in this book, mainly of what took place back in 1971. But also, setting things up for vol. 15 as everyone seems to have spotted someone mysterious. Who can it be?

Featuring wonderful illustration and awesome storytelling, which Naoki Ursawa is known for, "Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys Vol. 14″ is awesome!

Another volume that is highly recommended!
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[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy, I really hit it on the nail. The first rule of reading this manga is, don't expect what you think you're supposed to expect. All conversation is psychological warfare, and apparently, Mr. Naoki Urasawa's manga is, too.

So, hello, Stand!

You know all that, "We must prepare for the worst," stuff I was spouting about? Well, the shit just hit the fan.

At least you can always rely on a good writer to kill the darlings.

Brad K Horner's Blog

[Andria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things always get a little bit stupid when Friendland is involved.

[Quynh Than · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mình đã khóc như vòi rồng các bạn ạ. Sự trong sáng và hồn nhiên của trẻ con chính là điều tốt đẹp cuối cùng còn sót lại trên thế gian này sao? Đoạn Yoshitsune gặp Yoshitsune bé cảm động quá chừng. Và cả đoạn Donkey nói về những thứ khoa học nữa.

- Last night when you said that people die, they become nothing. Well, they don't. This has nothing to do with science, but when people die, they live on in other people's memories.
- That's true. That's scientific.

N. bảo anh đã đợi Q đọc đến tập này biết bao nhiêu.

[Estibaliz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I say the same thing every time, but this volume was really good: action-packed, fun, and oh so emotional... not to mention we kind of get some answers, but also we are left with so many more questions... what is real and what is not? And who is back in the streets?

I loved all the character development, and the surprises in that fantastic trip to the past.

Once again, masterpiece.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot stop reading at this point.

[lex]

im not crying.................. ;-;....

[Shenniferr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que triste el verano de 1971 de El Capitán

[Jamie Nimitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Present day Yoshitsune meeting up with child Yoshitsune has me in my feels and tearing up 😭 really masterful writing.

[Julie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mourners of Friend are many. Griefstricken people wait in line for hours to sign the register and file past his masked body. It seems as if all Friend’s predictions are coming to pass. Manjome is dispirited himself, and confused, and decides to take a trip into Friend Land to find answers to his questions, such as why is this happening.

At the same time, Kanna wants to send Koizumi with Yoshitsune into Friend Land to find their own answers. Kanna would rather go herself, but he tells her she is too emotionally involved, since Friend is her father and all. On their arrival, Yoshitsune shows Koizumi around to all the familiar places he remembers from 1971. But when they come to the location that was once their secret headquarters, they find a bowling alley there… one which Koizumi insists wasn’t there when she visited. What’s going on? She’s sure she’s right, but Yoshitsune remembers the place that destroyed their secret clubhouse. How can that be? Yoshitsune is having a difficult time remembering what he was doing that summer. While they are in the bowling alley, he comes face to face with the owner, the man he refers to as the King of Evil. Koizumi is shocked to discover that the man is actually Kamisama!

As they monitor Yoshitsune and Koizumi in the game, Kanna realizes they have been joined by another player, who is quickly headed toward them. They are unaware that it is Manjome, and he wonders if he is going to learn the real truth about 1971. As Manjome “sleeps”, his lover takes control, and she is ruthless.

Yoshitsune thinks the key to what happened lies in what happened at the science lab one particular night, and hinges on what Donkey saw, so he and Koizumi head there. And a fourth player has entered the game, and this person is swiftly descending upon Yoshitsune and Koizumi! Kanna asks to be placed into the game in the spot where they are, but winds up in Kenji’s room instead. She gives him some words of wisdom and heads to the school. And now they are all there…

The more I learn, the less I know. Nothing is what it appears to be, including 1971. Why the deception? Why hide the fact that a bowling alley was built where the boys had their secret headquarters? What is real and what isn’t? As for what Donkey saw that night… how does that even work? And why?

And the fourth player… could it be….

So many questions. Can’t wait to keep going on this crazy rollercoaster ride. Love it!

[Rahul · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best volume. Looking forward.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yoshitsune, Kana, Kyoko and other go to Amigoland to enter the virtual reality game to gather more clues. At the same time Majome enters from the Amigo Offices. They enteranother year on the simulation, where we find that the guy called god, is the manager of a company tat runs bowling places. Then one night some of the boys go to school to turn on the classroom fishtank pump. Only one goes in and sees something that could be a clue. Somm the Kana group and Majome meet as they se Amigo as kid pose as a hanged kid and with a trick convince other boys he revived. Then someone masked as Amigo appears and removes Majome. Kyoko ad Yoshisune also go out of the sim, but Kana stays.

A volumen that gives us a few more clues as to the kids childhood.

[Noninuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

After what had happened with Friend, his right hand man is not the same. But one question still hovering everyone is what will they do with the plan for World Carnival 2015?

I'd say that this is where the speed take off again with Yoshitsune, Kanna and her friend go back to the Friend Land and enter the virtual reality. What did they found out this time? That is an important information that had lost due to time. Trying to find out what Donkey saw on the night he jumped off the the second floor science lab, Yoshitsune found much more than he thought he would.

[ti☆ra · Rating 4 out of 5]

emotional volume contains flashback of yoshitsune build their new secret base while he seems like being forgotten and donkey promise kanna to be one of the good guys. also we got revelation scene about what happened that night in 1971

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really starting to lose interest in this comic..

[Laurianne Uy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an awesome reveal!

[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.

[Dani Wladdimiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retomando nuevamente la lectura con 20th Century Boys, es tremendamente complejo seguirle todos los hilos habiendo perdido un poco el ritmo, y es debe a la cantidad de detalles y personajes que tienen. Considerando que la historia se cuenta tanto en presente como en pasado, haciendo que algunos personajes se repitan, pero debes analizar quienes son el futuro/pasado, se hace complejo y a veces tedioso revisar constantemente. Aun así, creo que es un volumen que entrega algunas respuestas y más misterios sobre qué ocurrirá en el futuro.

La solución de ir a Amigolandia terminó siendo la pista necesaria para entender qué era Amigo. Por lo que sumergirse al año 1971 empezó a dar respuestas sobre lo que necesitaban saber en ese entonces. Si bien, sentí muy interesante cada tramo de la historia, con los respectivos misterios e hilos paralelos, a veces se me hacía pesado entender que tienen varias búsquedas. Siento que es el mayor problema de este manga, al abarcar tantas cosas, pero tantas cosas, termina perdiéndose el foco principal de lo que quiere contarse, y a veces irse a lo muy personal, se pierde lo interesante que era el ámbito mundial (como lo explicaba en la anterior reseña). Aun así, mi parte favorita fue la reflexión de Donkey, el cual por lejos es mi personaje favorito del pasado, quién no sólo debe lidiar con el estigma social, sino también con su forma analítica de pensar, realmente es muy buen personaje.

Volvió aparecer Amigo, era evidente que no podía terminar ahí el personaje, y veremos que nos depara a futuro toda esta enredada historia.

[Lucas Yahiko Madley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating ★★★★½; we see some of the most important aspects and legendary panels in the volume that the story has possessed so far and popular overall looking from that perspective of viewing of the series. Some of those great aspects being Friends death and rebirth aspect being pictured in a casket and then being alive later on in the volume and also the continuation of use of the virtual attraction machine. In this volume we get Friends new and well known iconic 👁️☝️ mask (which personally has taken me exactly a year to read and finally got here so makes great timing) and see a young Fukubei hanging from a noose while being alive which may or may not be Fukubei in the mask already still who's to say but I have my questions upon that matter. Lastly we see Kanna, Yoshitsune, and Kyoko wonders in the virtual attraction machine and also meeting upon matters of how their old hut was taken over by a bowling alley business (the evil emperor), and also get answers to why Donkey wasn't at school from previously in the manga which is really a good full circle moment and showing urasawa fantastic ability of long term story telling in a story. We also see Manjome in the virtual attraction alongside friend in my opinion I believe there's a certain plan friend has going on due to the fact that they all met up at specific point being Yamane, Sadakiyo, Fukubei, Kanna, Yoshitsune, Kyoko, Manjome, and ultimately Friend. Very great volume and who's to say if my assumptions could be wrong or right.

[Zare · Rating 5 out of 5]

In order to find out what exactly Friend is planning Yoshitsune, Kanna and Koizumi take a very risky step of starting up the VR representation of 1971 Koizumi went through during her indoctrination.

What they will encounter are true 1971 replayed events and again the infamous House on the Hanging Hill. There Yoshitsune will remember things from his youth and entire party will encounter something nobody expected. And I mean it, I truly did not expect this.

Art as always is great.

Highly recommended.

[Valush T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I 'd have to say that Yoshitzune has become in this vol. one of my favorite characters and as I saw coming "Friend" is alive and I was touched at the little moment Kanna had with Kenji as a child. She tried to warn Kenji even when she knew it was impossible.

"There will come a time when you have to fight.
And what you're going to do.... Is the right thing to do. And by the time that time comes promise me that no matter what happens, no matter what happens you're going to survive."

- 20th Century Boys 14

[riley ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reading this at past 1 am and the Science room scene was giving me a hell of freaks! 'Friend' is such a magician playing tricky moves. I'm sure he's still lying about what Donkey actually witnessed in that room that night. There's positively more to that in real scenes! We still don't know how Fukubei and Manjoume met and what their relationship actually is. It was quite sentimental for me to see young Yoshitsune and Donkey back....

[Emiliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah yes so there’s the iconic appearance

Wow ok so turns out stuff that happened prior turns out not true cause well here’s the person aka THE FRIEND… he’s alive with his iconic design that made me want to read this manga in the first place. A very sentimental volume with a lot of sweet moments with characters like Donkey and Yoshitsune (butchered the spelling). The mysteries continue !!!! and yeah how do you even stop someone who didn’t even die like what the hell.

[Adam Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm running out of things to say about this series. I keep thinking that the book itself is running out of ideas, and reasons to keep on going, but every volume has two or three plot points that I find really intriguing. And now that I'm 2/3rds finished with the series, I see no reason not to read it all the way through.

[Peter Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This edition of 20th Century Boys was interesting. The story has some new lines and the characters are fleshing out a bit. Without giving up anything, the past is not clearing up, it's developing as part of the present. The present has developments that bring out new questions.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the Friend dead, everybody's wondering what to do next. So they go into the virtual world at Friendland to try and get into his head. While in there we finally get to see exactly what Donkey saw that night in 1971.

[ej · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 just totally drugged koizumi without her permission, urasawa’s a good at agin characters up n down - always recognizable n natural, urasawa draws creepy expressions so well, oh young yoshitune :(, the chief awhhh fuck… urasawaaaa

[YugTheProPirate · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point,writing a review for this series is not needed.Every volume is the same.Lots of plot progression,plot twists,character development,great art and high entertainment value.It is awesome
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