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鉄コン筋クリート [Tekkon Kinkreet] #1
鉄コン筋クリート 1 [Tekkon Kinkreet 1]
純粋な力を信じるクロ。純粋な心を信じるシロ。2人の悪童が背徳の街宝町を舞台に繰り広げるアクション。危ないから気をつけてくださいね！！宝町に住む少年、シロとクロはネコと呼ばれ、他の町でも恐れられる存在。学校にも通わず、暴力で金を奪い取る荒んだ生活を繰り返していた。
211 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 7, 1994
12 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
Taiyo Matsumoto
166 books625 followersSee also: 松本大洋 and 松本 大洋
Although Taiyo Matsumoto desired a career as a professional soccerplayer at first, he eventually chose an artistic profession. He gained his first success through the Comic Open contest, held by the magazine Comic Morning, which allowed him to make his professional debut. He started out with 'Straight', a comic about basketball players. Sports remain his main influence in his next comic, 'Zéro', a story about a boxer.
In 1993 Matsumoto started the 'Tekkonkinkurito' trilogy in Big Spirits magazine, which was even adapted to a theatre play. He continued his comics exploits with several short stories for the Comic Aré magazine, which are collected in the book 'Nihon no Kyodai'. Again for Big Spirits, Taiyo Matsumoto started the series 'Ping Pong' in 1996. 'Number Five' followed in 2001, published by Shogakukan.
Source: Lambiek website bio .
Although Taiyo Matsumoto desired a career as a professional soccerplayer at first, he eventually chose an artistic profession. He gained his first success through the Comic Open contest, held by the magazine Comic Morning, which allowed him to make his professional debut. He started out with 'Straight', a comic about basketball players. Sports remain his main influence in his next comic, 'Zéro', a story about a boxer.
In 1993 Matsumoto started the 'Tekkonkinkurito' trilogy in Big Spirits magazine, which was even adapted to a theatre play. He continued his comics exploits with several short stories for the Comic Aré magazine, which are collected in the book 'Nihon no Kyodai'. Again for Big Spirits, Taiyo Matsumoto started the series 'Ping Pong' in 1996. 'Number Five' followed in 2001, published by Shogakukan.
Source: Lambiek website bio .
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 18, 2021
#ThrowbackThursday - Back in the '90s, I used to write comic book reviews for the website of a now-defunct comic book retailer called Rockem Sockem Comics. (Collect them all!)
From the July 1998 edition with a theme of "Manga Month!":
INTRODUCTION
It's manga month!
Viz Communications has been America's major importer/translator of Japanese comics for about a decade now. Eight months ago, Viz launched one of its boldest titles, PULP: MANGA FOR GROWNUPS. As the title suggests, PULP is an anthology which features adult-oriented stories: more complex and more sexual than your standard manga imports. (Alert: You're going to see a plethora of nudity and sexual content warnings in this month's column. Obvious white-outs and obscuring speed lines lightly censor most stories, but this is pretty racy stuff, folks.)
I like the idea behind PULP, though the execution has been a little sloppy. In my reviews below, I'll try not to punish the Japanese creators by remarking upon the barely adequate lettering and extremely stiff dialogue imposed upon their work by Viz's production staff and team of translators, but I want my audience to be aware that PULP does not contain the top-of-the-line Japanese to American adaptation seen in the likes of LONE WOLF AND CUB or even MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL which is reviewed below. I hope the quality of PULP's adaptations improve, but I am happy to have access to the material regardless.
This month, Viz is collecting several of the more popular serials from PULP into trade paperback format. If you have a little money left in your budget after buying all of DC Comics #1,000,000 issues, here a few collections you might want to consider.
A MIXED BAG
PULP: MANGA FOR GROWNUPS (Viz Communications)
Reviewing anthologies is difficult since the contents, the creators, and, therefore, the quality change constantly. PULP's line-up, however, has been fairly consistent since its debut. Since I've reviewed the major serials of PULP above, I thought I'd take a minute to comment on the few remaining ones that Viz has not yet begun collecting.
HEARTBROKEN ANGELS, by writer/artist Masahiko Kikuni and translator Ben Joe Wadoko, is a series of four-panel gag strips with a few recurring characters. "Gag" applies literally here, as HEARTBROKEN ANGELS can't tear itself away from bathroom humor. The grungy, crude art perfectly fits the tone of the strip, but it's not a tone I care for.
HEARTBROKEN ANGELS Grade: D
BLACK & WHITE, by writer/artist Taiyo Matsumoto and translator Lillian Olsen, is dreadful. It's the story of two street urchins who possess supernatural fighting abilities and luck. Some criminals want to kill them. The punks fight back. I haven't been able to understand much else. It's practically unreadable. The editors might have left the script in Japanese for this serial, as the art is a fascinating blend of European and Japanese drawing styles. If I wanted only pictures, though, I'd go to a museum. This serial and BANANA FISH are the only strips in PULP without sexual content.
BLACK & WHITE Grade: F
VOYEUR, by writer/artist Hideo Yamamoto and translator Yuji Oniki, is PULP's newest and most intriguing serial. Beginning in Volume 2 #6, VOYEUR is the story of a young man who becomes paranoid about his girlfriend's faithfulness and obsessed with eavesdropping after a hi-tech voyeur shows him (and us) the huge amount of sex occurring discreetly but constantly in the world around them. The unknown motives of the voyeur bear watching.
VOYEUR Grade: B+
As a matter of policy, if forced to grade an anthology, I'd have to give any and all anthologies a "C." The good strips and the bad strips usually cancel each other out, leaving the reader generally satisfied but wishing for more pages of the strips she liked. I must give PULP credit, though, for its huge 128 page format and the generous 20-30 pages allotted to the major serials each issue. As I mentioned in the introduction though, I'm disappointed in the overall poor quality of the translation and production.
From the July 1998 edition with a theme of "Manga Month!":
INTRODUCTION
It's manga month!
Viz Communications has been America's major importer/translator of Japanese comics for about a decade now. Eight months ago, Viz launched one of its boldest titles, PULP: MANGA FOR GROWNUPS. As the title suggests, PULP is an anthology which features adult-oriented stories: more complex and more sexual than your standard manga imports. (Alert: You're going to see a plethora of nudity and sexual content warnings in this month's column. Obvious white-outs and obscuring speed lines lightly censor most stories, but this is pretty racy stuff, folks.)
I like the idea behind PULP, though the execution has been a little sloppy. In my reviews below, I'll try not to punish the Japanese creators by remarking upon the barely adequate lettering and extremely stiff dialogue imposed upon their work by Viz's production staff and team of translators, but I want my audience to be aware that PULP does not contain the top-of-the-line Japanese to American adaptation seen in the likes of LONE WOLF AND CUB or even MAI, THE PSYCHIC GIRL which is reviewed below. I hope the quality of PULP's adaptations improve, but I am happy to have access to the material regardless.
This month, Viz is collecting several of the more popular serials from PULP into trade paperback format. If you have a little money left in your budget after buying all of DC Comics #1,000,000 issues, here a few collections you might want to consider.
A MIXED BAG
PULP: MANGA FOR GROWNUPS (Viz Communications)
Reviewing anthologies is difficult since the contents, the creators, and, therefore, the quality change constantly. PULP's line-up, however, has been fairly consistent since its debut. Since I've reviewed the major serials of PULP above, I thought I'd take a minute to comment on the few remaining ones that Viz has not yet begun collecting.
HEARTBROKEN ANGELS, by writer/artist Masahiko Kikuni and translator Ben Joe Wadoko, is a series of four-panel gag strips with a few recurring characters. "Gag" applies literally here, as HEARTBROKEN ANGELS can't tear itself away from bathroom humor. The grungy, crude art perfectly fits the tone of the strip, but it's not a tone I care for.
HEARTBROKEN ANGELS Grade: D
BLACK & WHITE, by writer/artist Taiyo Matsumoto and translator Lillian Olsen, is dreadful. It's the story of two street urchins who possess supernatural fighting abilities and luck. Some criminals want to kill them. The punks fight back. I haven't been able to understand much else. It's practically unreadable. The editors might have left the script in Japanese for this serial, as the art is a fascinating blend of European and Japanese drawing styles. If I wanted only pictures, though, I'd go to a museum. This serial and BANANA FISH are the only strips in PULP without sexual content.
BLACK & WHITE Grade: F
VOYEUR, by writer/artist Hideo Yamamoto and translator Yuji Oniki, is PULP's newest and most intriguing serial. Beginning in Volume 2 #6, VOYEUR is the story of a young man who becomes paranoid about his girlfriend's faithfulness and obsessed with eavesdropping after a hi-tech voyeur shows him (and us) the huge amount of sex occurring discreetly but constantly in the world around them. The unknown motives of the voyeur bear watching.
VOYEUR Grade: B+
As a matter of policy, if forced to grade an anthology, I'd have to give any and all anthologies a "C." The good strips and the bad strips usually cancel each other out, leaving the reader generally satisfied but wishing for more pages of the strips she liked. I must give PULP credit, though, for its huge 128 page format and the generous 20-30 pages allotted to the major serials each issue. As I mentioned in the introduction though, I'm disappointed in the overall poor quality of the translation and production.
March 21, 2020
I didn't understood it, completely went above my head. Art work is very awkward, characters are absurd, maybe my lack of understanding of absurdity made me don't like this manga.
August 22, 2023
A lot of people are saying there is an excellent story if you read on, but I can't force myself to get that far. After about 100 pages, it's still very early 90s in a bad way: mindless violence, not much story, and weird art that probably seemed amazing at the time but which seems over the top now.
The fact that people say it gets really good makes me wonder if I'm cheating myself by not reading the full series, but the fact that it's still not much after 100 pages makes me wonder how good is worth it to get through so many pages of boring.
The fact that people say it gets really good makes me wonder if I'm cheating myself by not reading the full series, but the fact that it's still not much after 100 pages makes me wonder how good is worth it to get through so many pages of boring.
December 5, 2021
Hard to get into, a lot of awkward angles and paneling, but the main characters pull me through. I really do like them.
September 21, 2024
This was amazing!
July 25, 2020
I love this <3 Going to read the rest of the series and hope to get more inspired recommendations like this.
December 30, 2025
Title:Tekkonkinkreet Soli Contro Tutti
Author: Taiyo Matsumoto
Volume: 1 of 4
Genre: urban fantasy, surrealism, action, drama
Pages: 624
Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two adolescent boys, one Black and one White, are living alone in a decrepit city, fiercely defending its spirit against the powerful forces attempting to transform it into an unrecognizable and submissive entity. At only 26 years old, Matsumoto, the creator of this story in 1993, appears to be emulating his own version of Akira, following in the footsteps of Katsuhiro Otomo to delve into the challenges of growing up in a world that devours its youth. Much like Otomo's gang of adolescent bikers, Matsumoto captures the rebellious and outlaw nature of being a child, where one feels a sense of ownership and power in a world that often overlooks their existence.
The central question addressed by Matsumoto is how one learns to comprehend an apathetic society and ultimately works toward changing it, as Black and White navigate through a heartless city and its ruthless power players. From the beginning, the boys revel in their freedom as they roam through a city undergoing a drastic transformation right before their eyes. The town's criminals have their sights set on gentrifying Treasure Town, turning it into a profitable playground reminiscent of Disneyland. This transformation mirrors the evolution of New York City's once-gritty Times Square into a tourist destination, a future that only benefits the criminals' growing wealth. However, this is not the Treasure Town that Black and White cherish nor what its streets truly desire to become. Even among the criminals, there is disagreement over the future direction of the city, with the newcomers eager to make changes while the seasoned hoodlums go along with their bosses' plans despite their own doubts.
On the other side, the police are simply trying to maintain order in the midst of this ongoing struggle. They are stuck in a never-ending cycle, striving to keep some semblance of control in the turbulent streets. In this story, we are introduced to a world where two children are caught in the middle of a dangerous rivalry between gangsters and law enforcement. They see the city as their own playground, constantly battling for control. They are the chaos agents, known as Black and White, and while they keep everyone on their toes, they themselves are in need of protection. White stands out as someone who is disconnected from the world, and Black becomes his protector. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that both boys rely on each other in different ways. Individually they are strong, but together they are unstoppable. They fearlessly take on anyone who threatens them, influenced by the ferocity they have learned from their city.
https://www.tumblr.com/thebookteawithjai
Author: Taiyo Matsumoto
Volume: 1 of 4
Genre: urban fantasy, surrealism, action, drama
Pages: 624
Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two adolescent boys, one Black and one White, are living alone in a decrepit city, fiercely defending its spirit against the powerful forces attempting to transform it into an unrecognizable and submissive entity. At only 26 years old, Matsumoto, the creator of this story in 1993, appears to be emulating his own version of Akira, following in the footsteps of Katsuhiro Otomo to delve into the challenges of growing up in a world that devours its youth. Much like Otomo's gang of adolescent bikers, Matsumoto captures the rebellious and outlaw nature of being a child, where one feels a sense of ownership and power in a world that often overlooks their existence.
The central question addressed by Matsumoto is how one learns to comprehend an apathetic society and ultimately works toward changing it, as Black and White navigate through a heartless city and its ruthless power players. From the beginning, the boys revel in their freedom as they roam through a city undergoing a drastic transformation right before their eyes. The town's criminals have their sights set on gentrifying Treasure Town, turning it into a profitable playground reminiscent of Disneyland. This transformation mirrors the evolution of New York City's once-gritty Times Square into a tourist destination, a future that only benefits the criminals' growing wealth. However, this is not the Treasure Town that Black and White cherish nor what its streets truly desire to become. Even among the criminals, there is disagreement over the future direction of the city, with the newcomers eager to make changes while the seasoned hoodlums go along with their bosses' plans despite their own doubts.
On the other side, the police are simply trying to maintain order in the midst of this ongoing struggle. They are stuck in a never-ending cycle, striving to keep some semblance of control in the turbulent streets. In this story, we are introduced to a world where two children are caught in the middle of a dangerous rivalry between gangsters and law enforcement. They see the city as their own playground, constantly battling for control. They are the chaos agents, known as Black and White, and while they keep everyone on their toes, they themselves are in need of protection. White stands out as someone who is disconnected from the world, and Black becomes his protector. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that both boys rely on each other in different ways. Individually they are strong, but together they are unstoppable. They fearlessly take on anyone who threatens them, influenced by the ferocity they have learned from their city.
https://www.tumblr.com/thebookteawithjai
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2019
Não sabia muito o que esperar deste mangá, só sabia que ele sempre constava de listas de melhores mangás de todos os tempos e coisa e tal. Ao começar a leitura eu só pensava comigo mesmo: "sério que acham esse quadrinho tão bom assim?". Aí fui reparando no visual dos personagens, nos cenários que Matsumoto usava para criar a cidade e fui percebendo que tanto o Preto, o Branco e a Cidade eram três personagens que se fundiam, que se adaptavam, que se completavam e também fugiam um do outro. A coisa fica tão complexa entre esses três principais elementos deste mangá que acompanhar sua trajetória e os mistérios que os fazem se mover são hipnotizantes. Será que são os meninos Preto e Branco que modificam a cidade ou será que é a cidade quem está modificando os meninos e deixando suas caraterísticas mais carregadas, mais sobressaltadas a ponto de os três agirem em uníssono e irracionalmente, cada um à sua maneira? Fui percebendo então porque falavam tão bem deste quadrinho e fui tentando entender os personagens, mas não consegui. E foi essa pulga atrás da orelha que me fez sorrir na metade final da leitura.
May 9, 2024
A few false starts, but finally finished this 1st volume. The city is changing. Awooooooooooo. Black + White. Tough street kids living in a jungle playground of a city. They beat the shit out of people. IDK, this plot is kinda weak, but it definitely feels cool. The art style is way too claustrophobic, which I guess kinda works with the over-the-top visual aesthetic + dense urban landscape. But the style IS good, and cool. Just a little hard to make out what's happening in some panels. I was having a rough day today when I finished this, so when Black comes in and saves Chocolate, it felt nice to have such a stylish, cool, + predictable deus-ex intervention. Sometimes I really do need a good ending. That said, this book gets kinda sad near the end, what with Black trying to get his little brother into school & even getting him a little backpack which he is super excited to receive. My emotional response to this last part of the book caught me off guard, I didn't expect to feel sad reading this book. Definitely will be continuing this trilogy.
January 30, 2018
Two street kids living in a strange neighborhood filled with hoodlums and gangsters,but they somehow seem to hold their own. (The artwork is idiosyncratic...I wish I had his sense of wabbi-sabbi, he just seems to know how art flows).published in BIG COMIC SPIRITS (shogakukan)1993-1994.
July 17, 2019
Everyone in the universe should read this amazing story. My heart melts when I think about it. I wish I could read it again for the first time...
April 13, 2024
I really wanted to like this but I wasn't very impressed by the first volume.
January 7, 2026
A flawless masterpiece
July 19, 2016
Taiyo Matsumoto's breakout manga (and as far as I know the only one to get an English translation) is a comics fusion dish: fairly typical seinen manga concerns (friendship, violence, personal growth) and fluid action storytelling in a surreal cityscape that's explicitly influenced by French comics - Giraud most obviously though Matsumoto's faces really remind me of another artist I can't place (sorry!). Oh, and theres a dash of Frank Miller in there too.
The result is initially dense and weird, but within a chapter or two Matsumoto had me won over. The difficult beauty of the art matches the story's leads. Violent, loyal Black and slow, impulsive White are street kids in the built-up slum of Treasure Town, and the story uses the backdrop of a yakuza takeover bid to dramatise Black's growing realisation that age and change are encroaching on the precarious space he and his brother have carved out for themselves. Brutal and thoughtful - I'm very keen to track down the rest.
The result is initially dense and weird, but within a chapter or two Matsumoto had me won over. The difficult beauty of the art matches the story's leads. Violent, loyal Black and slow, impulsive White are street kids in the built-up slum of Treasure Town, and the story uses the backdrop of a yakuza takeover bid to dramatise Black's growing realisation that age and change are encroaching on the precarious space he and his brother have carved out for themselves. Brutal and thoughtful - I'm very keen to track down the rest.
January 5, 2015
not your typical shounen manga, even with the same level of violence. but underneath it, I couldn't help but admired the two monkeys, black and white. and it's had a touching moment, too, when black have a backpack to white and took him to school at night.
May 26, 2012
Everyone in the universe should read this amazing story. My heart melts when I think about it. I wish I could read it again for the first time...
October 6, 2012
LOVED these books and became a huge fan of Taiyo Matsumoto forever!!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews