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アップルシード [Appleseed] #3
Appleseed: The Scales of Prometheus
Life seems ideal within the utopian confines of Olympus, a shining beacon in a post-World War III wasteland, but perfection is always an illusion. Stalking the ruins of New York City is Artemis, a renegade, flesh-eating bioroid (enhanced artificial human) carrying data critical to the future of Olympus. The elite ESWAT is sent in to tranq her and bring her in, but when Artemis recovers during transit the powerful combat bioroid brings down the transport ship and escapes into Olympus! ESWAT agents Deunan and Briareos are dispatched to bring in the feral Artemis, but will they emerge as heroes...or lunch?
132 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 1987
9 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
Masamune Shirow
425 books496 followersMasamune Shirow is an internationally renowned manga
Masanori Ota, better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow (Japanese: 士郎正宗), is a Japanese manga artist renowned for his influential contributions to the cyberpunk genre. Born in Kobe in 1961, he studied oil painting at Osaka University of Arts, where he developed an interest in manga. His early work Black Magic led to the critically acclaimed Appleseed, which won the 1986 Seiun Award for Best Manga. Shirow achieved global recognition with Ghost in the Shell, a groundbreaking manga that inspired multiple anime films and series, a live-action Hollywood adaptation, and numerous video games. His stories are known for blending action with philosophical inquiries into AI, post-human existence, and the ethics of technology. He has collaborated with Production I.G on projects like Ghost Hound and Real Drive. Shirow’s distinctive style and thought-provoking narratives have left a lasting impact on manga, anime, and science fiction worldwide, influencing creators including the Wachowskis of The Matrix fame.
Masanori Ota, better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow (Japanese: 士郎正宗), is a Japanese manga artist renowned for his influential contributions to the cyberpunk genre. Born in Kobe in 1961, he studied oil painting at Osaka University of Arts, where he developed an interest in manga. His early work Black Magic led to the critically acclaimed Appleseed, which won the 1986 Seiun Award for Best Manga. Shirow achieved global recognition with Ghost in the Shell, a groundbreaking manga that inspired multiple anime films and series, a live-action Hollywood adaptation, and numerous video games. His stories are known for blending action with philosophical inquiries into AI, post-human existence, and the ethics of technology. He has collaborated with Production I.G on projects like Ghost Hound and Real Drive. Shirow’s distinctive style and thought-provoking narratives have left a lasting impact on manga, anime, and science fiction worldwide, influencing creators including the Wachowskis of The Matrix fame.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 15, 2018
Deunan and Briareos continue to struggle with life in utopia despite being in a relationship. A rogue bioroid is on the loose and tensions are running high in Aegis.
As Deunan and Briareos see life in Olympus isn't all it's cracked up to be, relations between the humans and bioroids continue to deteriorate. I have a feeling Arugess is going to wind up being the big bad in the final volume. I'm glad Deunan and Briareos are finally together.
The art continues to amaze me, from the cityscapes to the mech designs. The auto-bugs remind me of the Invid from the third Robotech series. I found the art much easier to follow than in earlier volumes. The feeling that things were lost in translation continues.
While it was action packed, this was my least favorite volume of the series so far. The action scenes were great and I like the characters but I've officially lost track of the story beyond Deunan and Briareos being together and Artemis being some kind of wolf-human hybrid bioroid. Three out of five stars.
As Deunan and Briareos see life in Olympus isn't all it's cracked up to be, relations between the humans and bioroids continue to deteriorate. I have a feeling Arugess is going to wind up being the big bad in the final volume. I'm glad Deunan and Briareos are finally together.
The art continues to amaze me, from the cityscapes to the mech designs. The auto-bugs remind me of the Invid from the third Robotech series. I found the art much easier to follow than in earlier volumes. The feeling that things were lost in translation continues.
While it was action packed, this was my least favorite volume of the series so far. The action scenes were great and I like the characters but I've officially lost track of the story beyond Deunan and Briareos being together and Artemis being some kind of wolf-human hybrid bioroid. Three out of five stars.
April 25, 2012
The first two volumes were a bit tough to follow. This one was completely impenetrable. Shirow's dialogue bombards the reader with facts, and it's very difficult to sort out what's world-building background info, and what's directly relevant to the story. Whatever thread supposedly tied one chapter to the next was completely lost on me, and I'm not an unintelligent person. In the book's favor, Shirow's mecha designs and action sequences were top-notch as usual; it's a very cool looking book. But it would have been nice to be able to put some context to those action scenes, and to understand what was at stake in the larger story. Maybe it was just a translation issue, but I spent most of this book scratching my head, trying to figure out what was going on.
July 4, 2022
7/10
While book 2 was more philosophically and emotionally charged, in this one Shirow mostly indulges in his obsession for military operations. Story-wise, this book is more obscure, hence a step down compared to the previous one. There are three parallel sub-plots, in order of (my) increasing confusion:
1. Chasing a furry savage bioroid. (Bioroids are basically the replicants of Appleseed world, in charge of creating an Utopian society in the city state of Olympus.) This part was easy to follow.
2. A military operation in France, to destabilise the regime there, or catch a human-trafficking American diplomat, or maybe both, I am not sure.
3. A situation of secret agents and double-agents related to the intrigues between Poseidon (the nation of Japan) and the city state of Olympus. This latter story line was absolutely impossible to understand.
Despite the obscure plotting, Appleseed remains pleasant to read. Characters are cool and the art is great, so much that it makes you swallow the cheesy 80's aesthetics of the series without questioning your life. However, art-wise I think that there are two peaks in Shirow's career: the Otomo-like roundness of Appleseed Book 2 (1985) and the sketchy yet sophisticated mature work of Ghost in the Shell (1989-1990). This book, from 1987, is an intermediate passage between the two, and as a transition not as satisfying as the two peaks.
Shirow is 26 years old when he draws this, four years into his manga career. Professionally even less, since for the first couple of years he was making manga while teaching art in high school. It is at this point we see the appearance of his interest in naked girls, or dressed girls in gratuitous poses, a tendency that will go adrift only a decade later, when he will basically leave narrative manga for pornography.
While book 2 was more philosophically and emotionally charged, in this one Shirow mostly indulges in his obsession for military operations. Story-wise, this book is more obscure, hence a step down compared to the previous one. There are three parallel sub-plots, in order of (my) increasing confusion:
1. Chasing a furry savage bioroid. (Bioroids are basically the replicants of Appleseed world, in charge of creating an Utopian society in the city state of Olympus.) This part was easy to follow.
2. A military operation in France, to destabilise the regime there, or catch a human-trafficking American diplomat, or maybe both, I am not sure.
3. A situation of secret agents and double-agents related to the intrigues between Poseidon (the nation of Japan) and the city state of Olympus. This latter story line was absolutely impossible to understand.
Despite the obscure plotting, Appleseed remains pleasant to read. Characters are cool and the art is great, so much that it makes you swallow the cheesy 80's aesthetics of the series without questioning your life. However, art-wise I think that there are two peaks in Shirow's career: the Otomo-like roundness of Appleseed Book 2 (1985) and the sketchy yet sophisticated mature work of Ghost in the Shell (1989-1990). This book, from 1987, is an intermediate passage between the two, and as a transition not as satisfying as the two peaks.
Shirow is 26 years old when he draws this, four years into his manga career. Professionally even less, since for the first couple of years he was making manga while teaching art in high school. It is at this point we see the appearance of his interest in naked girls, or dressed girls in gratuitous poses, a tendency that will go adrift only a decade later, when he will basically leave narrative manga for pornography.
July 4, 2017
With as much as I love the first two books, three just feels like it's a different story. It's still all of the great Appleseed artwork, and it's filled to brimming with Shirow's style, the story just wasn't as good.
July 23, 2023
Ok, I'm done with Appleseed, sad to say it. Shirow Masamune throws pacing out the window, and plot exists entirely as a vehicle to stitch together scenes of humans and bioroids in 80s leotards and hairdos. It just isn't fun anymore.
Read
August 24, 2021This is an excellent Japanese manga, one of the best I had the pleasure to read and enjoy in the Applessed series. I really like the drawing style of Masamune Shirow and his complex, yet entertaining story set in the 22nd century after World War III. His main heroes, Deunan Knute and her cyborg partner Briareos Hecatochires once again fight crime on the streets of Olympus City, a high-tech utopia where artificial humans and humans who have survived the war live in an uneasy state of forced coexistence. But there are humans who feel the desire to free themselves from the restrictions of the golden cage and the laws that might favor artificial humans over the ones born in a natural way. This manga is outstanding and I highly recommend it.
November 20, 2017
Robotic armored exo-skeletons replaced by extensive nudity and uninteresting non-mechanized police gear. I understand form fitting costumes and outfits (though only appreciate them up to a certain limit), but pausing the action for ten pages for a sauna scene is ridiculous.
I had been reading the westernized volumes before this more faithful translation- it's right-to-left now. The oddest part was that sound effects weren't translated (because art outside of word balloons is sacrosanct?). Also the pages are now smaller, overall I prefer the earlier english editions and would only want to re-read this in that format.
I had been reading the westernized volumes before this more faithful translation- it's right-to-left now. The oddest part was that sound effects weren't translated (because art outside of word balloons is sacrosanct?). Also the pages are now smaller, overall I prefer the earlier english editions and would only want to re-read this in that format.
May 25, 2022
Recordaba un poco más este tomo que los dos anteriores, pero tampoco demasiado. En este caso la historia fluye con más naturalidad, aunque de nuevo abarca demasiadas cosas. ¿Lo mejor? El worldbuilding y las conversaciones en segundo plano. ¿Lo peor? El fan service. Quiero decir, hace más de 20 años me acostumbré a él e incluso creí que me gustaba: ahora lo aborrezco. No digo que no deba existir: simplemente me molesta que solo aparezcan mujeres desnudas. Ponedme hombres (¡cyborgs incluidos!) en pelotas y ahí no tendré problema.
November 14, 2022
I truly enjoyed parts one and two. This volume less so.
The characters are fun, the world is interesting, but in this third part of Appleseed the plot is somewhat lacking. Sure, things happen, but events are hardly related and its hard to finding any red thread.
Won't reread and will actually sell this volume to make space for something more interesting. Shirow has better work.
The characters are fun, the world is interesting, but in this third part of Appleseed the plot is somewhat lacking. Sure, things happen, but events are hardly related and its hard to finding any red thread.
Won't reread and will actually sell this volume to make space for something more interesting. Shirow has better work.
September 2, 2023
Reading this series makes me feel like I’m missing huge chunks of context, it’s a lot of exposition at all times and it’s hard to keep up. The politics are weird here as well and the fan service stuff is particularly egregious here. There’s more Deunan/Briareos content this time though, so it’s not a complete loss!
May 3, 2024
All Things Come Along just Fine…
Taking down the French cabal, rescuing hostages, slugging out some prisoner claiming diplomatic immunity, all in the days work. While the cat-like bioroid got nailed finally when covered in plaster. Deunan’s trying to patch up with distant Briareos. Once again, all in a day’s work at ESWAT.
Taking down the French cabal, rescuing hostages, slugging out some prisoner claiming diplomatic immunity, all in the days work. While the cat-like bioroid got nailed finally when covered in plaster. Deunan’s trying to patch up with distant Briareos. Once again, all in a day’s work at ESWAT.
October 25, 2024
is shirow the mangaka whose work most resembles homework outside of explicitly educational manga? his obvious skill at art is bogged down by his insistence on filling half of every page with almost meaningless text much like tolkien
April 14, 2025
Still very pretty: but much of what was interesting in the previous two volumes is here exchanged for exposition, explosions and soft porn, though did enjoy the multilingualism of the utopian city of Olympus.
February 12, 2020
More political intrigue and a hunt for a feral creature are the bulk of this issue. I also enjoyed the sweetness between the two main leads.
January 27, 2025
There's no reason for this series to have persisted past the second volume.
February 27, 2017
3.5 maybe
March 4, 2015
Out of all the Appleseed manga as well as the movies this one is pretty much where I wished Masamune Shirow would go with. Given the tactical nature of my stories and the emphasis on tactical or even special forces operations Operation Benandanti is what I consider one of the best story-tactical missions in existence at least in my mind. The whole execution from Olympus to France has pretty much inspired me to write good tactical stories as a whole, and the political, and military, and even social aspects of it still shines in my mind today and further enhances and makes him want to expand more on the WWIII aspect of the storyline. The book isn't just about Benandanti but overall has some other elements in play regarding Yoshino and the interaction of Olympus and Poseidon, which is featured in Appleseed: Ex Machina and Yoshino is just one of those mysterious characters that's brought along for whatever reason (as well as we find out Arugess is part of the Poseidon power play as well) for the mission but overall shows the other side of ESWAT and how they do more missions around the world vs. the situations that are brought up solely in Olympus. So I'd highly recommend this book, even over Book 4, which carried it's weight, but as a former Soldier the tactical missions is what interests me more.
June 24, 2016
We have two subplots playing at the same time here, and while they're both good on their own, they don't work all that well together. In fact, they may as well have been separated into their own respective volumes. One involves Deunan and Briareos chasing a flesh-eating bioroid named Artemis, who's escaped into Olympus. The other deals with the pair joining an op team to perform a 'drug bust', which turns out to be much more than that...
The artwork is yet again an improvement over the previous volume. I noticed a little more attention to detail this time around, although the grander-scale action sequences can still be confusing at times. It's an interesting read, but I'm a bit torn on whether or not I like this new story arc better than the previous one. At least it keeps moving.
The artwork is yet again an improvement over the previous volume. I noticed a little more attention to detail this time around, although the grander-scale action sequences can still be confusing at times. It's an interesting read, but I'm a bit torn on whether or not I like this new story arc better than the previous one. At least it keeps moving.
July 6, 2012
Dans ce troisième tome, Briareos et Dunan se retrouvent mêlés à de l'espionnage international (ce qui a priori est sympa), ainsi qu'à une sombre affaire d'affichage de supériorité diplomatique (ce que je trouve toujours très laid).
Les landmates sont jolis (ainsi que les filles), et l'histoire raisonnablement intelligente. Du coup, ben c'est toujours aussi bien.
Les landmates sont jolis (ainsi que les filles), et l'histoire raisonnablement intelligente. Du coup, ben c'est toujours aussi bien.
December 11, 2014
estuvo muy entretenido y lleno de información está entrega. Pero la sentí que el autor no supo jugar bien con el personaje de Artemis y la operación fuera de Olímpica dejó mucho que desear sí quería ir más allá de hacerla notar como algo cuestionable.
May 27, 2007
Appleseed Book 3 is a hell of a ride. Enjoy militaria? Fall in love easily with strong women? Like to see an artist just as he's hitting his stride? Look no further.
April 15, 2009
Too many identical-looking robot suits!
July 20, 2016
First read in: July 2015
September 5, 2015
This volume, as a collection of mostly unrelated vignettes or short stories, was much less interesting and compelling than the previous two volumes. 2.5 stars.
October 28, 2015
3.5 stars
August 22, 2012
The story continues, expanding the cast and the atmosphere of the world. A good sci-fi read.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews