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Heart Gear #1
Heart Gear, Vol. 1
Nearly 200 years after the destruction of humanity in World War III, Roue lives a happy life exploring the ruins of civilization with her “uncle,” a robot named Zett. But when their peaceful life is threatened, Roue must trust the mysterious robot Chrome to bring her family together again.
After Roue accidentally activates Chrome without a base program—what’s essentially his soul—she and Uncle Zett invite him into their makeshift family and encourage him to choose his own purpose. But when an insane machine attacks their home, will Chrome survive, much less find his purpose?
After Roue accidentally activates Chrome without a base program—what’s essentially his soul—she and Uncle Zett invite him into their makeshift family and encourage him to choose his own purpose. But when an insane machine attacks their home, will Chrome survive, much less find his purpose?
216 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2019
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281 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
June 27, 2023
Tsuyoshi Takaki says in his commentary that he wants people to question what we as humans see as "normal." That's actually a good summary of this volume - Roue, a girl of about eleven, is the only human in the story, and no one's quite sure how she ended up on Zett's doorstep as a baby in a rocket. Zett, an academic "gear" (in-world name for robots), takes it upon himself to raise her, but when an insane gear destroys his physical body, Chrome, a strange gear Roue accidentally woke up, takes over. Chrome is oddly advanced compared to all of the other robots, but once he assigns himself the base program of protecting Roue, we can see him beginning to change and grow in a decidedly human way.
The story quickly becomes about Roue and Chrome journeying to find a way to install Zett's memory block into a new body, but it's also an exploration of a world decimated by war where engines thereof still roam. Some have degraded and become "insane;" others are just trying their best to live and carry on according to their base programs. But all of them have sparks of humanity within them - the question just remains as to whether they can avoid the fate of humanity while keeping Roue alive. Post-apocalyptic stories aren't always my thing, but this one has me very intrigued, and it's clear that Takaki has done his sci fi research. If gears can have hearts, this is the series that just may prove it.
The story quickly becomes about Roue and Chrome journeying to find a way to install Zett's memory block into a new body, but it's also an exploration of a world decimated by war where engines thereof still roam. Some have degraded and become "insane;" others are just trying their best to live and carry on according to their base programs. But all of them have sparks of humanity within them - the question just remains as to whether they can avoid the fate of humanity while keeping Roue alive. Post-apocalyptic stories aren't always my thing, but this one has me very intrigued, and it's clear that Takaki has done his sci fi research. If gears can have hearts, this is the series that just may prove it.
April 7, 2024
"Live with everything you've got!"
This was so so so engaging!! I decided to try this for an upcoming Top 5 Wednesday video and this manga definitely surprised me, BUT THE ENDING OF THAT FIRST CHAPTER!!!
WHYYYYYYY?!?! *sobs*
Sadly moving on though, I didn't know what to expect from this, but after reading the first volume on MANGA Plus, I'm seriously considering picking it up physically! I really really loved all the characters and especially how they all interact with Roue, our female lead. I liked how she had a goal and how that goal is the heart of her upcoming adventures, but I was surprised to find that she didn't necessarily have a "dream," and how her not having one added another element to this story that I was invested in.
And truly, this first volume THRIVED on building layer upon layer where I was interested in Roue as a character, Chrome as a gear, and the overall world and what will happen next. The art only enhanced this and felt I was having a visual feast with everything that was happening! (Though I wasn't fond of the fanservice in one scene with a service gear, though I will also easily admit that the character in question WAS cool and could seriously kick butt!)
Speaking of Chrome, I really like him! He is a different kind of robot than I expected, but I feel he IS a good guy. I feel he wouldn't have made his entire "base program" what it was if he didn't care for our main girl! On a different note, all the fights and battles are AMAZING! I am VERY excited about where the volume ended and want to know more!
Again, this was super awesome. and will be diving into volume two on MANGA Plus after writing this review because I NEED to see what happens next! I went from "I'm going to check this out for a video" to "I NEED to keep reading so I can see what happens next!"
This was so so so engaging!! I decided to try this for an upcoming Top 5 Wednesday video and this manga definitely surprised me, BUT THE ENDING OF THAT FIRST CHAPTER!!!
WHYYYYYYY?!?! *sobs*
Sadly moving on though, I didn't know what to expect from this, but after reading the first volume on MANGA Plus, I'm seriously considering picking it up physically! I really really loved all the characters and especially how they all interact with Roue, our female lead. I liked how she had a goal and how that goal is the heart of her upcoming adventures, but I was surprised to find that she didn't necessarily have a "dream," and how her not having one added another element to this story that I was invested in.
And truly, this first volume THRIVED on building layer upon layer where I was interested in Roue as a character, Chrome as a gear, and the overall world and what will happen next. The art only enhanced this and felt I was having a visual feast with everything that was happening! (Though I wasn't fond of the fanservice in one scene with a service gear, though I will also easily admit that the character in question WAS cool and could seriously kick butt!)
Speaking of Chrome, I really like him! He is a different kind of robot than I expected, but I feel he IS a good guy. I feel he wouldn't have made his entire "base program" what it was if he didn't care for our main girl! On a different note, all the fights and battles are AMAZING! I am VERY excited about where the volume ended and want to know more!
Again, this was super awesome. and will be diving into volume two on MANGA Plus after writing this review because I NEED to see what happens next! I went from "I'm going to check this out for a video" to "I NEED to keep reading so I can see what happens next!"
September 19, 2023
In the aftermath of World War III, Roue lives a quiet life with her Uncle Zett. Which would be normal enough, except Roue is the only human around and Zett’s a robot known as a Gear. One day, Roue finds another Gear named Chrome and that’s just the start of her life going completely sideways…
I’m a bit sad that the cover of the collected edition just up and gives away the reveal of Chrome’s true form after punching his way out of how we originally encounter him, as I imagine experiencing that with no foreknowledge would be a heck of a fun turn.
This is a shonen story through and through, but it has a little bit more than typical going on behind the scenes and on the page. Takaki mentions in their author notes how much they love hard sci-fi and that is evident in several places.
I mean, there’s a copy of Bicentennial Man that Roue reads, not to mention a quick summation of the most important parts of Asimov’s laws of robotics, which are considered to be part of the basic Gear programming.
And, like many a tale of androids before it (yes, there’s a sort-of Philip K. Dick moment here too), it is certainly concerned with the nature of drive and impulse as it applies to robots and whether they can feel anything or exceed the boundaries of their programming. Plus, genre stalwart ‘the nature of free will’ to boot.
It also involves some wicked cool character designs and fairly solid action, so it definitely ticks a lot of good storytelling boxes coming out of the gate and, again, Chrome’s reveal (both of them, honestly) is pretty great.
Throw in a strong impetus for a long journey and several mysteries mixed in and you have the start of something that has a little more depth than I’m used to seeing from a shonen series.
Mind you, there’s also a robot maid with combat legs that strips to a one-piece swimsuit to fight, so it’s not like it completely drops the trappings of its chosen genre of manga. Even then, the way Chrome approaches this fight makes good sense in this universe.
And Roue’s a really great character too - she’s a sweet kid and it’s not hard to understand Chrome’s decision to protect her or her own choice to undertake the journey on her uncle’s behalf. The story also doesn’t overly sexualize her, which is so unusual it’s worth pointing out.
It’s a good start and there’s enough fighting here for the action crowd and enough world-building and characterization for the story crowd. I wouldn’t say it’s amazing, but it’s very strong and has a lot of potential. The cliffhanger does feel a bit silly, but it also highlights how little Roue truly knows about Chrome, so I’ll give it a pass.
3.5 stars - I’ll even be extra nice and round up on a first volume because I think it deserves it and because shonen that doesn’t drive me up the wall is rare enough that it deserves some extra applause.
I’m a bit sad that the cover of the collected edition just up and gives away the reveal of Chrome’s true form after punching his way out of how we originally encounter him, as I imagine experiencing that with no foreknowledge would be a heck of a fun turn.
This is a shonen story through and through, but it has a little bit more than typical going on behind the scenes and on the page. Takaki mentions in their author notes how much they love hard sci-fi and that is evident in several places.
I mean, there’s a copy of Bicentennial Man that Roue reads, not to mention a quick summation of the most important parts of Asimov’s laws of robotics, which are considered to be part of the basic Gear programming.
And, like many a tale of androids before it (yes, there’s a sort-of Philip K. Dick moment here too), it is certainly concerned with the nature of drive and impulse as it applies to robots and whether they can feel anything or exceed the boundaries of their programming. Plus, genre stalwart ‘the nature of free will’ to boot.
It also involves some wicked cool character designs and fairly solid action, so it definitely ticks a lot of good storytelling boxes coming out of the gate and, again, Chrome’s reveal (both of them, honestly) is pretty great.
Throw in a strong impetus for a long journey and several mysteries mixed in and you have the start of something that has a little more depth than I’m used to seeing from a shonen series.
Mind you, there’s also a robot maid with combat legs that strips to a one-piece swimsuit to fight, so it’s not like it completely drops the trappings of its chosen genre of manga. Even then, the way Chrome approaches this fight makes good sense in this universe.
And Roue’s a really great character too - she’s a sweet kid and it’s not hard to understand Chrome’s decision to protect her or her own choice to undertake the journey on her uncle’s behalf. The story also doesn’t overly sexualize her, which is so unusual it’s worth pointing out.
It’s a good start and there’s enough fighting here for the action crowd and enough world-building and characterization for the story crowd. I wouldn’t say it’s amazing, but it’s very strong and has a lot of potential. The cliffhanger does feel a bit silly, but it also highlights how little Roue truly knows about Chrome, so I’ll give it a pass.
3.5 stars - I’ll even be extra nice and round up on a first volume because I think it deserves it and because shonen that doesn’t drive me up the wall is rare enough that it deserves some extra applause.
July 26, 2023
I've always been a sucker for the unfeeling robot/being that begins to feel human. Think...Data, Spock from Star Trek, Bishop from Aliens, Murderbot by Martha Wells.
Takaki has written a new manga series to challenge the reader as to what we perceive as being human and finding our purpose when given free will.
In this postapocalyptic future, a young human girl, 11 year old Roue, lives with her robot "uncle", Zett. His purpose is to take care of raise Roue. Their happy little bubble is burst when, not so friendly, robots find them but a robot named Chrome comes to the rescue. Only Chrome has no base program, no purpose, and isn't sure what to do or how to act. Zett and Roue take him on and, later, he becomes Roue's caretaker. But is he hero or villain? Soulless or becoming human?
The female characters (there are 2 - Roue and another robot) who are occasionally overly sexualized and I honestly can't tell if this is meant to be an eventual romance or not because Chrome was just a metal can and became, inexplicably, hot when moved to a new host body lol And that cover really gives off romantic vibes to me.
I am not an avid graphic novel/manga reader so I feel sort of awkward weighing in on that aspect but I found some panels jumpy - story wise - and had to backtrack to get my bearings again. The art work was sometimes messy to the point of confusion. My arc was a black and white ebook though, so that could be totally different in the finished copy.
I think this issue did a great job of laying out the characters and story. I was totally invested and like I said, I love a good - what it means to be human story.
Takaki has written a new manga series to challenge the reader as to what we perceive as being human and finding our purpose when given free will.
In this postapocalyptic future, a young human girl, 11 year old Roue, lives with her robot "uncle", Zett. His purpose is to take care of raise Roue. Their happy little bubble is burst when, not so friendly, robots find them but a robot named Chrome comes to the rescue. Only Chrome has no base program, no purpose, and isn't sure what to do or how to act. Zett and Roue take him on and, later, he becomes Roue's caretaker. But is he hero or villain? Soulless or becoming human?
The female characters (there are 2 - Roue and another robot) who are occasionally overly sexualized and I honestly can't tell if this is meant to be an eventual romance or not because Chrome was just a metal can and became, inexplicably, hot when moved to a new host body lol And that cover really gives off romantic vibes to me.
I am not an avid graphic novel/manga reader so I feel sort of awkward weighing in on that aspect but I found some panels jumpy - story wise - and had to backtrack to get my bearings again. The art work was sometimes messy to the point of confusion. My arc was a black and white ebook though, so that could be totally different in the finished copy.
I think this issue did a great job of laying out the characters and story. I was totally invested and like I said, I love a good - what it means to be human story.
April 4, 2020
https://lapommequirougit.com/2020/04/...
ue je l’aimerais beaucoup, mais le résultat est au-dessus de mes attentes !
L’espère humaine est anéantis depuis plus de 200 ans, suite à la troisième guerre mondiale. Ne reste sur terre que les Gear. Des machines, des robots, créés par l’homme, qui continue à vivre.
Pourtant, Zett va un jour découvrir un bébé, qu’il va nommer Roue. Il n’a aucune idée d’où elle vient, mais il tient à protéger cette humaine et l’élever. C’est ainsi que ce robot et Roue font leur vie, dans leur petit coin, tranquillement.
Mais un jour, en explorant les alentours, Roue découvre un robot qu’elle active sans le vouloir : Chrome. Il est tout nouveau, tout jeune, il ne sait pas trop quoi faire. Mais il va rapidement se trouver un objectif, quand un insane va s’approcher de chez eux. Les insanes sont des robots qui avec le manque d’entretien (vu que l’espèce humaine n’existe plus), déraille et deviennent agressif. Ce dernier va s’en prendre à Zett et Chrome va trouver son objectif : protéger Roue quoi qu’il arrive.
Sauf que le corps de Zett est endommagé. Heureusement, son unité centrale à l’air encore en bonne état. Roue et Chrome vont alors partir explorer le monde, afin de trouver un nouveau corps pour Zett et le ramener à la vie.
L’histoire est vraiment prenante. Le style de dessin est magnifique et l’univers captivant ! De plus, à chaque fin de chapitre, il y a un petit pavé explicatif sur les conditions actuelles de l’univers, ce que j’ai beaucoup apprécié.
Ce manga est intriguant. Il m’a fait beaucoup réfléchir. Sur la condition humaine, sur les motivations des hommes, sur l’intelligence artificielle, etc.
De plus, je suis très curieuse concernant Roue. Comment une humaine de seulement dix ans peut encore être sur terre, alors que son espèce a été décimée, il y a plus de 200 ans ? Ce premier tome apporte quelques réponses, mais ces réponses me font poser encore plus de questions !
En bref, l’univers et le font de l’histoire est vraiment génial ! C’est un énorme coup de cœur que j’ai pour ce premier tome. J’ai énormément de question concernant Roue et j’ai hâte de voir les réponses que je pourrais y trouver dans les prochains tomes. Les dessins y sont magnifiques et j’adore le thème de l’histoire !
ue je l’aimerais beaucoup, mais le résultat est au-dessus de mes attentes !
L’espère humaine est anéantis depuis plus de 200 ans, suite à la troisième guerre mondiale. Ne reste sur terre que les Gear. Des machines, des robots, créés par l’homme, qui continue à vivre.
Pourtant, Zett va un jour découvrir un bébé, qu’il va nommer Roue. Il n’a aucune idée d’où elle vient, mais il tient à protéger cette humaine et l’élever. C’est ainsi que ce robot et Roue font leur vie, dans leur petit coin, tranquillement.
Mais un jour, en explorant les alentours, Roue découvre un robot qu’elle active sans le vouloir : Chrome. Il est tout nouveau, tout jeune, il ne sait pas trop quoi faire. Mais il va rapidement se trouver un objectif, quand un insane va s’approcher de chez eux. Les insanes sont des robots qui avec le manque d’entretien (vu que l’espèce humaine n’existe plus), déraille et deviennent agressif. Ce dernier va s’en prendre à Zett et Chrome va trouver son objectif : protéger Roue quoi qu’il arrive.
Sauf que le corps de Zett est endommagé. Heureusement, son unité centrale à l’air encore en bonne état. Roue et Chrome vont alors partir explorer le monde, afin de trouver un nouveau corps pour Zett et le ramener à la vie.
L’histoire est vraiment prenante. Le style de dessin est magnifique et l’univers captivant ! De plus, à chaque fin de chapitre, il y a un petit pavé explicatif sur les conditions actuelles de l’univers, ce que j’ai beaucoup apprécié.
Ce manga est intriguant. Il m’a fait beaucoup réfléchir. Sur la condition humaine, sur les motivations des hommes, sur l’intelligence artificielle, etc.
De plus, je suis très curieuse concernant Roue. Comment une humaine de seulement dix ans peut encore être sur terre, alors que son espèce a été décimée, il y a plus de 200 ans ? Ce premier tome apporte quelques réponses, mais ces réponses me font poser encore plus de questions !
En bref, l’univers et le font de l’histoire est vraiment génial ! C’est un énorme coup de cœur que j’ai pour ce premier tome. J’ai énormément de question concernant Roue et j’ai hâte de voir les réponses que je pourrais y trouver dans les prochains tomes. Les dessins y sont magnifiques et j’adore le thème de l’histoire !
April 17, 2021
Chrome is the kind of character that I vibe with. Intrigued to see the rest of the story.
November 10, 2023
This is not my usual genre of manga. I do like to read dystopian/after the apocalypse books, but they can go south on me pretty quickly. So I was hesitant to read this. The cover is what sold me (it looks romantic and I do like a love story), but when I started to read, it's obvious that she's an 11 year old human (the only one on the planet possibly) and he is an android. Soooo...bait and switch?
But the characters and the storyline completely did not disappoint. The little girl is being raised by her "uncle", who is a "Gear" (aka robot) left over after WWIII destroyed humanity. He finds her one day as a baby and decides to raise her (he was a teacher in his programming, so he was positive towards mini-humans). She grows and learns and thrives, but they need to be careful because robots who have degraded are very dangerous, they just want to destroy anything that moves. It's the law of the jungle when one encounters them, kill or be killed. There is no reasoning with them.
Stuff happens, she makes a new friend, her Uncle is "killed", but she and her new friend are going on a quest to try to find the parts needed to fix him. Adventures, and cliffhanger, ensue.
I am fully invested. I want the little girl Roue to find the part she needs to bring her Uncle back and I HOPE she finds other humans, though something tells me the robots are probably more human then any humans left. Why else would she have been shot off, Superman as a baby like, as a baby herself unless it was to save her from something?
So I am really looking forward to the next volume and hopefully some more answers!
4, this is a great start to a series and I highly recommend it if you are looking for something a little different, stars!
My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
But the characters and the storyline completely did not disappoint. The little girl is being raised by her "uncle", who is a "Gear" (aka robot) left over after WWIII destroyed humanity. He finds her one day as a baby and decides to raise her (he was a teacher in his programming, so he was positive towards mini-humans). She grows and learns and thrives, but they need to be careful because robots who have degraded are very dangerous, they just want to destroy anything that moves. It's the law of the jungle when one encounters them, kill or be killed. There is no reasoning with them.
Stuff happens, she makes a new friend, her Uncle is "killed", but she and her new friend are going on a quest to try to find the parts needed to fix him. Adventures, and cliffhanger, ensue.
I am fully invested. I want the little girl Roue to find the part she needs to bring her Uncle back and I HOPE she finds other humans, though something tells me the robots are probably more human then any humans left. Why else would she have been shot off, Superman as a baby like, as a baby herself unless it was to save her from something?
So I am really looking forward to the next volume and hopefully some more answers!
4, this is a great start to a series and I highly recommend it if you are looking for something a little different, stars!
My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2025
Seems like a smart post apocalyptic story that has already taken a few left turns I wasn't expecting.
Robot/Gear Chrome takes young human girl Roue under his care...after her 'Uncle' Zett (robot) is brutally damaged.
Robot/Gear Chrome takes young human girl Roue under his care...after her 'Uncle' Zett (robot) is brutally damaged.
November 12, 2023
I'm a sucker for the found family trope. Loved the art, and the storyline is interesting so far.
August 18, 2023
this was excellent!!! so much better than I was expecting!! it’s got humor, heart, and some awesome, well-illustrated action set in a post-apocalyptic sci fi world. chrome is mysterious…the ending leaves me worried his reboot could make him forget his new base program (protect roue), so we’ll see where this goes. I absolutely love mary, even if her maid outfit is so overdone - her legs are totally badass, and her true love and care for roue is so heartwarming!! I am 1000% onboard for the next volume!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2021
A charming shonen from the mangaka of the short-lived manga Black Torch, about a world populated solely by intelligent machines called gears and a single human girl. A very enjoyable read largely carried by the incredible art. The plot and worldbuilding so far is vague but intriguing. I was hoping it wouldn't become too battle focused, but alas, one volume in and there have already been three fights. It's not a bad things per se, but I much preferred the solemn, mysterious vibes from chapter 1. Hoping we can get more quiet moments as I think that's where the series shines.
May 31, 2020
J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé ce manga peuplé de robots 🖤 la seule raison pour laquelle je n'ai pas mis 5/5 est que j'ai eu l'impression que les rares robots à apparence féminine sont toutes hyper sexualisées donc MEH.
March 13, 2024
Either something is wrong with sci-fi or something is wrong with me. Why am I not vibing with the sci-fi books im picking up this year? 💔 like I'm not saying it's bad it's just not gachiakuta level for me (my fav manga that's not anime atm) I love looking at Chrome tho he's hot 🤷🏻♀️
September 9, 2021
Honnêtement très bon premier tome ! L'ami d'intelligence artificielle est un de mes tropes préférés en sf, tout comme l'est le compagnon animal en fantasy. J'aime beaucoup les dessins de ce manga. Seul petit bémol : la sexualisation du corps d'une gamine au début. Bof hein.
October 12, 2023
Pleasantly surprised by this one deserving 4 stars, art is lovely story is cool and interesting. I am keen to read the next volume even though series is on Hiatus at the moment.
August 20, 2023
The artwork was really nice I like this story though I seen a lot of stories like this I do like the way that they use the Gear In this instead of your typical robots or cyborgs I thought it was weird that most of them were all human or humanoid types and the stories a big cliché but still pretty fun I am going to read the rest of the series if you’re looking for a post apocalyptic series you could do a lot worse than this I have to say this is definitely for first volume it was kind of a fun read. I also like the fact that the Gear Could go in the saying and could actually be a real threat and not just things that have been programmed to kill everything constantly
October 17, 2020
Reseñado en mi blog Nanny Books
Empecé Heart Gear;hace mucho, pero debido a que me mandaron a tomarme el estudio en serio, reducí dramáticamente a cero todas las lecturas no académicas. Y entre ellas este manga. Esta semana, después de una pelea épica con mi computadora (casi me muero cuando no encendió), decidí retomar todo aquello que había dejado pendiente. En la lista de cosas colgadas, estaba este pequeño esperándome. Como una tonta ingenua empecé a releer el primer tomo sin antes hacer una investigación profunda sobre el estado del mismo.
¿A qué me refiero? Pues gente amiga, sean expertos o recién comiencen en el mundo manga, les recordaré la regla básica de sobrevivencia: averiguar antes de encariñarse con una historia el estado de publicación del manga en cuestión. No vaya a ser el caso de que esté abandonada o suspendida. ¿Por qué les digo esto? A algunos les gusta leer a medida que se van publicando los capítulos (en materia de K-Drama no lo entiendo) y eso está genial. Cuando empecé este manga, lo hice bajo esa condición. Pero resulta que no solamente yo me tomé un parate, ¡el mangaka también lo hizo! Vale que su excusa fue atinada: baja por enfermedad hasta mediado de año. Sin embargo, el pasado mes la editorial original que lo publica (Shueisha) lo catalogó como suspendido indeterminadamente. No hicieron ningún comentario al respecto. Y así nos quedamos todos sin saber cuándo se volverá a publicar algo de Heart Gear (o si está cancelada en realidad). Los rumores son un poco despiadados.
Pero de todo esto me enteré mucho más tarde. Yo volví a la relectura de Heart Gearsin saberlo y disfruté de cada página (el primer tomo tiene alrededor de doscientas). Las escenas de paisajes reflejan a la perfección toda esa angustia contenida de mundo post apocalíptico. Los diseños de los personajes principales están muy cuidados (aunque hasta que alguien no hizo referencia directa a la edad de la protagonista, jamás lo hubiera imaginado por mí misma).
Los Gears están muy bien pensados y se nutren de esquemas del género con una armonía genial, toda la ciencia ficción tanto en manga como en literatura tienen su pequeño hueco aquí. ¿Qué es un gear? Pues si no lo han adivinado aún son robots. Existen de diferente tipo, científicos, de combate, sirvientes, ingenieros, etc. Es un mundo muy completo (a excepción de la escasez lógica de vida humana). Y la idea de que algunos de ellos estén locos le da el pequeño empujoncito de entretenimiento y promesas de peligro y acción para que toda la trama funcione.
Otra cosa que se le da muy bien a Takaki es el trazado de las escenas de combate. ¡Los momentos de golpes críticos y la muerte inminente se siente! Realmente tiene un talento único para estas cosas. El arte, junto con el misterio que está implícito aún en la trama, son lo mejor de este manga.
El primer tomo me gustó mucho, me fue entretenido y ya comencé a tomarle cariño a algunos personajes (por favor, que bueno que está Chrome). En dibujo no hay nada que reprochar, es impecable en todo sentido. Aunque hay marcada una aventura y ya se determinan algunos enemigos de abate rápido, hay un misterio del que no se ha hablado, pero que se presiente que será el verdadero motor de la historia.
Heart Gear lo tenía todo para enamorar a sus lectores, sin embargo, el hecho de que el autor haya desaparecido y que la editorial lo catalogara como suspendido, seguramente refrenará a que muchos se aventuren a sus páginas. Yo incluida, aún no decido si seguir adelante o dejar aquí y esperar a ver qué pasa.
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July 26, 2023I've always been a sucker for the unfeeling robot/being that begins to feel human. Think...Data, Spock from Star Trek, Bishop from Aliens, Murderbot by Martha Wells.
Takaki has written a new manga series to challenge the reader as to what we perceive as being human and finding our purpose when given free will.
In this postapocalyptic future, a young human girl, 11 year old Roue, lives with her robot "uncle", Zett. His purpose is to take care of raise Roue. Their happy little bubble is burst when, not so friendly, robots find them but a robot named Chrome comes to the rescue. Only Chrome has no base program, no purpose, and isn't sure what to do or how to act. Zett and Roue take him on and, later, he becomes Roue's caretaker. But is he hero or villain? Soulless or becoming human?
The female characters (there are 2 - Roue and another robot) who are occasionally overly sexualized, which is common. I honestly can't tell if this is meant to be an eventual romance or not because Chrome was just a metal can and became, inexplicably, hot when moved to a new host body lol And that cover really gives off romantic vibes to me.
I am not an avid graphic novel/manga reader so I feel sort of awkward weighing in on that aspect but I found some panels jumpy - story wise - and had to backtrack to get my bearings again. The art work was sometimes messy to the point of confusion. My arc was a black and white ebook though, so that could be totally different in the finished copy.
I think this issue did a great job of laying out the characters and story. I was totally invested and like I said, I love a good - what it means to be human story.
Takaki has written a new manga series to challenge the reader as to what we perceive as being human and finding our purpose when given free will.
In this postapocalyptic future, a young human girl, 11 year old Roue, lives with her robot "uncle", Zett. His purpose is to take care of raise Roue. Their happy little bubble is burst when, not so friendly, robots find them but a robot named Chrome comes to the rescue. Only Chrome has no base program, no purpose, and isn't sure what to do or how to act. Zett and Roue take him on and, later, he becomes Roue's caretaker. But is he hero or villain? Soulless or becoming human?
The female characters (there are 2 - Roue and another robot) who are occasionally overly sexualized, which is common. I honestly can't tell if this is meant to be an eventual romance or not because Chrome was just a metal can and became, inexplicably, hot when moved to a new host body lol And that cover really gives off romantic vibes to me.
I am not an avid graphic novel/manga reader so I feel sort of awkward weighing in on that aspect but I found some panels jumpy - story wise - and had to backtrack to get my bearings again. The art work was sometimes messy to the point of confusion. My arc was a black and white ebook though, so that could be totally different in the finished copy.
I think this issue did a great job of laying out the characters and story. I was totally invested and like I said, I love a good - what it means to be human story.
December 27, 2023
What a COOL story! This is so SICK!
I mean, who doesn’t love a post-apocalyptic wasteland inhabited by humanity’s few survivors? It’s practically its own genre for a reason.
In this first volume, we get to meet Roue—the seemingly last known human on earth after WWIII broke out 200 years ago—and a number of robots known in this world as “gears”. Most notable of the gears is Chrome—a mysterious fifth generation robot Roue discovers in an abandoned laboratory. Chrome decides to make protecting Roue his primary objective as the two embark on a journey to find remaining survivors.
I really appreciate both the story and the style of this series so far. I’m particularly impressed by the thoughtful construction all of our main characters. Based on this first volume, it appears we are going to get some thoughtful discussion of the human condition out of this series—which, I’m so looking forward to reading.
Honestly, I’m just so happy to be reading a series by Tsuyoshi Takaki again. I so very much appreciated Black Torch and was deeply disheartened when it was cut short. This author has so much to give us—in terms of both storytelling and style. It’s just so dynamic!
Highly recommend this series for sci-fi fans and anyone else vaguely concerned about the eventual AI-takeover of the world~
I mean, who doesn’t love a post-apocalyptic wasteland inhabited by humanity’s few survivors? It’s practically its own genre for a reason.
In this first volume, we get to meet Roue—the seemingly last known human on earth after WWIII broke out 200 years ago—and a number of robots known in this world as “gears”. Most notable of the gears is Chrome—a mysterious fifth generation robot Roue discovers in an abandoned laboratory. Chrome decides to make protecting Roue his primary objective as the two embark on a journey to find remaining survivors.
I really appreciate both the story and the style of this series so far. I’m particularly impressed by the thoughtful construction all of our main characters. Based on this first volume, it appears we are going to get some thoughtful discussion of the human condition out of this series—which, I’m so looking forward to reading.
Honestly, I’m just so happy to be reading a series by Tsuyoshi Takaki again. I so very much appreciated Black Torch and was deeply disheartened when it was cut short. This author has so much to give us—in terms of both storytelling and style. It’s just so dynamic!
Highly recommend this series for sci-fi fans and anyone else vaguely concerned about the eventual AI-takeover of the world~
June 8, 2024
There are times when Heart Gear gives me Battle Angel Alita vibes: a post-apocalyptic setting; characters who are largely mechanical; a strong focus on action. And this is a good thing. But I can't help but feel that Chrome, the lead robot protagonist, is a little too powerful. He's no Meliodas from The Seven Deadly Sins, or even your average isekai hero, but aside from one real instance, nothing he runs into seems to give him much trouble at all. I don't want to say I prefer it when the characters I read about struggle, but I do like it to feel like there are stakes--and when it's the first volume, and Chrome is catching bullets that are bigger than he is, it really makes me wonder what Takaki can put in later that would actually threaten him.
There is always Roue I guess, the human girl who Chrome is tasked to protect, and she is certainly squishier than he is. But as long as they stick close together, it seems unlikely she'll ever be in any real danger.
Still, the art is pretty great, the character designs are creative, and Roue's quest to find a new body for her "uncle" Zett's memory core has the potential to go some interesting places. I just hope that Chrome doesn't simply shrug off all of the hurdles they encounter along the way as easily as he does with most of them in this volume.
There is always Roue I guess, the human girl who Chrome is tasked to protect, and she is certainly squishier than he is. But as long as they stick close together, it seems unlikely she'll ever be in any real danger.
Still, the art is pretty great, the character designs are creative, and Roue's quest to find a new body for her "uncle" Zett's memory core has the potential to go some interesting places. I just hope that Chrome doesn't simply shrug off all of the hurdles they encounter along the way as easily as he does with most of them in this volume.
March 16, 2024
A post-apocalyptic quest sprinkled with mood-relieving moments of humor, with warmhearted themes of finding your dream and discovering your identity.
Centuries after humanity caused its own destruction, a 10-year-old girl (possibly the only remaining human) lives in the wasteland with her robot caretaker. She discovers and awakens a robot, Chrome, whose programming had never been completed and, after an attack by an 'insane' robot (a military model that has degraded to the point of mindless violence) the new robot resolves to serve as the girl's protector and they set off across the wasteland in search of help.
It's a familiar kind of story, but I am interested to see how it (and Chrome) develops.
Recommended for readers who enjoy a post-apocalyptic setting that isn't overly dark and gritty, but isn't too saccharine or twee either.
Content warnings: no swearing, no drugs/alcohol (though one robot has an imitation cigarette like the humans it used to know), no sex, but one female-shaped robot is presented in sexualized ways (shown in angles emphasizing her butt, etc); one animal is killed by a robot (quickly and non-graphically)
Centuries after humanity caused its own destruction, a 10-year-old girl (possibly the only remaining human) lives in the wasteland with her robot caretaker. She discovers and awakens a robot, Chrome, whose programming had never been completed and, after an attack by an 'insane' robot (a military model that has degraded to the point of mindless violence) the new robot resolves to serve as the girl's protector and they set off across the wasteland in search of help.
It's a familiar kind of story, but I am interested to see how it (and Chrome) develops.
Recommended for readers who enjoy a post-apocalyptic setting that isn't overly dark and gritty, but isn't too saccharine or twee either.
Content warnings: no swearing, no drugs/alcohol (though one robot has an imitation cigarette like the humans it used to know), no sex, but one female-shaped robot is presented in sexualized ways (shown in angles emphasizing her butt, etc); one animal is killed by a robot (quickly and non-graphically)
July 12, 2020
Un manga que estoy siguiendo por la plataforma de Manga Plus en su traducción oficial en español, me tiene muy enganchado, su arte me parece genial, es una historia en un futuro postapocalictico donde solo habitan robots denominados Gearts pero por alguna razón hay un ser humano (una niña de Nombre Roue), quien es protegida por un Geart científico (Zett) Pacífico que tiene el propósito de estudiarla y enseñarle, de pronto poco se encuentra con otro Geart de Nombre Chrome que lo activa por error Roue y que al despertar no tiene claro el motivo de su existencia, lo cual genera una amistad entre los 3, pero repentinamente Zett es destruido por proteger a Roue, desde aquí se aventuran Chrome junto Roue en busca de un lugar donde puedan reconstruir a Zett en otro cuerpo debido a que la Matriz de Zett sigue intanta, en el cual van conociendo nuevos personajes también Gears, en el cual poco a poco Chrome va descubriendo que es un Geart de Combate de última Generacion y
Se compromete en proteger a Roue y ayudarla en restaurar Zett para estar los 3 juntos nuevamente
Se compromete en proteger a Roue y ayudarla en restaurar Zett para estar los 3 juntos nuevamente
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2023
*ARC provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review*
The Story:
WWIII has destroyed most of what was left of humanity, leaving primarily "gears" (robots) to care and assist the remaining human race. The story is heartfelt and reminds me a bit of what it was like to watch Nausicaa and Grave of the Fireflies. Ultimately, a heart wrenching story where you know death is inevitable, yet somehow, someway, hope always appears to be on the horizon. As though the death of every predecessor was a firefly lighting the path to happiness and (to sound ridiculously patriotic) freedom.
The Art:
I really love the art style. The human & human-like character styles remind me of the human-like characters from Cells at Work, and not just cause of the emo hair cut.
Overall:
I really truly want to read the next volume and deeply wish it was already translated for review. I can't help but wonder where the series will lead next and if we'll see a happy light.
Content Warnings:
The Story:
WWIII has destroyed most of what was left of humanity, leaving primarily "gears" (robots) to care and assist the remaining human race. The story is heartfelt and reminds me a bit of what it was like to watch Nausicaa and Grave of the Fireflies. Ultimately, a heart wrenching story where you know death is inevitable, yet somehow, someway, hope always appears to be on the horizon. As though the death of every predecessor was a firefly lighting the path to happiness and (to sound ridiculously patriotic) freedom.
The Art:
I really love the art style. The human & human-like character styles remind me of the human-like characters from Cells at Work, and not just cause of the emo hair cut.
Overall:
I really truly want to read the next volume and deeply wish it was already translated for review. I can't help but wonder where the series will lead next and if we'll see a happy light.
Content Warnings:
March 1, 2023
Bello, non me l'aspettavo proprio!
L'ho comprato solo perché la giornalaia me l'aveva messo da parte. Poi ho letto è apprezzato.
Mondo fantascientifico in cui la terra è abitata soprattutto da gear, macchine che assomigliano moltissimo agli umani. C'è la piccolina umana di turno che vive felice e contenta con il suo gear finché non ne trovano un altro che però deve ancora ricevere l'imprinting, diciamo così. Però poi le cose precipitano e bisogna cominciare una ricerca. E si parte.
Non mancano i combattimenti.
Bellini i disegni!
Mi è piaciuto e leggerò anche il secondo.
L'ho comprato solo perché la giornalaia me l'aveva messo da parte. Poi ho letto è apprezzato.
Mondo fantascientifico in cui la terra è abitata soprattutto da gear, macchine che assomigliano moltissimo agli umani. C'è la piccolina umana di turno che vive felice e contenta con il suo gear finché non ne trovano un altro che però deve ancora ricevere l'imprinting, diciamo così. Però poi le cose precipitano e bisogna cominciare una ricerca. E si parte.
Non mancano i combattimenti.
Bellini i disegni!
Mi è piaciuto e leggerò anche il secondo.
November 21, 2025
I think this series has potential. The story seems interesting, like is Roue really the only human left on earth? Where did she come from?
The art is really pretty, and I'm a bit superficial when it comes to art in comics. I need to like to look at the panels to get really into a series. That said, I'm not sure if it's the art style or just the artist, but Roue doesn't read as the 10 year old I think she's supposed to be. There's also the panels in the lake while washing her clothes that has me side-eyeing the manga. So while I think there's potential, I'm also ready to drop this if Roue is getting more sus panels.
The art is really pretty, and I'm a bit superficial when it comes to art in comics. I need to like to look at the panels to get really into a series. That said, I'm not sure if it's the art style or just the artist, but Roue doesn't read as the 10 year old I think she's supposed to be. There's also the panels in the lake while washing her clothes that has me side-eyeing the manga. So while I think there's potential, I'm also ready to drop this if Roue is getting more sus panels.
September 5, 2023
CW: Animal Death
This was a great read! It's a sci-fi story taking place 200 years after the events of World War 3. Follows a young girl who is the last survivor in a world over-run by androids. I really liked the concept, it reminded me of Kurogane Communication, one of my favorite anime series. Plays with the idea of "Can robots feel emotion?" and other themes of the like. I enjoyed the characters and the art is fantastic.
I found some of the pacing a bit off with the exposition between chapters, but it's still good. Happy to have more Takaki manga translated.
This was a great read! It's a sci-fi story taking place 200 years after the events of World War 3. Follows a young girl who is the last survivor in a world over-run by androids. I really liked the concept, it reminded me of Kurogane Communication, one of my favorite anime series. Plays with the idea of "Can robots feel emotion?" and other themes of the like. I enjoyed the characters and the art is fantastic.
I found some of the pacing a bit off with the exposition between chapters, but it's still good. Happy to have more Takaki manga translated.
December 12, 2025
I usually don’t read sci-fi, but this volume really pulled me in. The story is surprisingly easy to get into, and I’m finding myself genuinely interested in where it’s going. I like all the characters we’ve met so far.
Chrome might just be my favorite already. He seems like the kind of character I would really enjoy.
I also hope the series doesn’t lean too much into fanservice, since that’s not really my thing.
The art is great.
And the ending makes me wanna order all the other volumes immediately.
Chrome might just be my favorite already. He seems like the kind of character I would really enjoy.
I also hope the series doesn’t lean too much into fanservice, since that’s not really my thing.
The art is great.
And the ending makes me wanna order all the other volumes immediately.
November 21, 2023
Thanks so much NetGalley and Viz Media for this delightful arc!
5/5 stars
I loved this! The post apocalyptic ai takes over the world trope is definitely around a lot, but I really love what's been done with this series! Each character is unique and quirky, giving it the fun manga/anime vibes even though basically all humans are dead and things look a bit bleak. This was very entertaining and I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes!
5/5 stars
I loved this! The post apocalyptic ai takes over the world trope is definitely around a lot, but I really love what's been done with this series! Each character is unique and quirky, giving it the fun manga/anime vibes even though basically all humans are dead and things look a bit bleak. This was very entertaining and I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes!
August 7, 2025
pro: hot robot man protecting cute tiny child- adorable
con: horse gets its head chopped off
pro: the world-building/art is REALLY cool- world war kills all humans because their technology goes insane
con: hot robot man also gets his head chopped off
pro: he becomes cool space robot unicorn?
i'll probably keep reading it at some point because it's only 7 volumes but this was a roller coaster for me
con: horse gets its head chopped off
pro: the world-building/art is REALLY cool- world war kills all humans because their technology goes insane
con: hot robot man also gets his head chopped off
pro: he becomes cool space robot unicorn?
i'll probably keep reading it at some point because it's only 7 volumes but this was a roller coaster for me
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