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鉄コン筋クリート [Tekkon Kinkreet] #1-3
Amer Béton
Noiro et Blanko, deux orphelins, vivent dans les rues de Takara. Malgré leur jeune âge, ils survivent dans ce quartier dominé par la pauvreté, la corruption et la violence. Ensemble, ils tiennent tête à un groupe de yakusa bien déterminé à asseoir leur domination sur la ville. La lutte pour la survie du quartier sera âpre et est loin d’être gagnée d’avance…
613 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 1994
107 people are currently reading
5604 people want to read
About the author
Taiyo Matsumoto
163 books617 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 - 30 of 256 reviews
December 9, 2021
One of the few masterpieces of 'realistic' manga. By which I mean it contains whimsical touches, flights of fancy, imagination, heart, and friendship without succumbing to any of the cheap thrills so often associated with this medium like giant robots. ghost hunters, or revealing costumes. A genuinely admirable and affecting work of art, molding a relatable and satirical atmosphere of mingled wacky comedy and disarming violence into a beautiful synthesis of love, disturbing cruelty, and concrete jungle adaptation.
December 5, 2012
"Tekkonkinkreet melted my mind. Originally published in 1993 it tells the story of two street orphans who control their piece of Treasure Town through a cheerful violence. It was for me a life affirming work as I, like Black and White, spent much of my time kicking mobsters in the teeth, hanging out on building tops and wrestling with which fucked up hat to wear. Fitting restlessly into the company of Oliver Twist and Tom Sawyer with a solid dose of The Five Deadly Venoms, it teaches that you can do whatever the fuck you want, and maybe even get away with it (if you don't mind occasionally getting the shit kicked out of you). Taiyo tells tale with sharp urgent playfulness, always keeping a grip on the two contrasting personalities of the boys, the naive yet insightful White, and the darkly driven Black. As Treasure Town is enveloped in a slow build fury of deep evil, the innocently vicious duo's connection to the city and its other denizens slowly unravels and the bond between Black and White crumbles. Does it end the tragedy? One of the best comics ever produced."
-- So sez comix visionary and Lightning Bolt drummer Brian Chippendale. He wrote a detailed appreciation of Taiyo Matsumoto's work that's worth a read and includes an appraisal of the even more amazing "Go Go Monster."
If you haven't read (m)any mangas, this would be a great place to start. It deftly balances action and character, employs an eccentric storytelling style that draws on European comics, and has fantastic art that mixes Moebius, Peter Max, and manga. Inventive and singular, it's also effortlessly enjoyable. I'm not quite as high on it as Chippendale -- the ending felt a bit rushed and simplistic, though I still found myself surprisingly moved. Bottom line: Matsumoto is a master and more people should be reading him.
-- So sez comix visionary and Lightning Bolt drummer Brian Chippendale. He wrote a detailed appreciation of Taiyo Matsumoto's work that's worth a read and includes an appraisal of the even more amazing "Go Go Monster."
If you haven't read (m)any mangas, this would be a great place to start. It deftly balances action and character, employs an eccentric storytelling style that draws on European comics, and has fantastic art that mixes Moebius, Peter Max, and manga. Inventive and singular, it's also effortlessly enjoyable. I'm not quite as high on it as Chippendale -- the ending felt a bit rushed and simplistic, though I still found myself surprisingly moved. Bottom line: Matsumoto is a master and more people should be reading him.
July 14, 2014
Balanced between the exhilaration and bitter ugliness, Tekkon Kinkreet is the story of two orphans who serve as the Yin and Yang of a rough city deep into a sort of perverse, mob-driven Disneyfication. The visual style is uniquely shaky and visceral, the frames packed with motion and rushing skylines with a sort of grotesque charm, and the same can perhaps be said of the motley cast of characters. Occasionally reveals its serial creation with unnecessary episodes, but much less so than a lot of other similar works, and the narrative arc and building momentum hold for the length of the book, even without any arbitrary plot-magnification (why must so many comics end up with end-of-the-world stakes, no matter where they start?) Apparently the author also has a book about table tennis.
October 18, 2021
Quisiera darle cinco estrellas a este manga, por el poso que me ha dejado y por el buenísimo rato que he pasado con él. Hablamos de un tocho importante, algo más de seiscientas páginas, que me ha durado un día y medio. Un tifón. Lo que más mola es todo el dibujo super recargado de referencias, cómo recrea ese barrio de Tokio basándose en el exceso (que empieza por la indumentaria de los niños pero que está en todas partes: pintadas, animales raros que salen a veces, edificios, gente, caracteres japoneses que llenan el aire). En esta atmósfera delirante que consigue crear está el alma del mangaka, aparte de que la historia, con sus dos protagonistas y la ristra de personajes secundarios, los escenarios aéreos, las peleas y todo eso, está muy bien. Me ha fallado un poco el cierre, típica ida de olla nipona cuando se trata de lidiar con los sentimientos, que aunque es convincente en su fondo falla en la forma, un poco teen party, con mucho fuego artificial innecesario (espectaculares viñetas) pero algo de torpeza a la hora de plantear el conflicto interior de Kuro. No pasa lo mismo con Shiro, su compañero, encarnación del aura benigna, cuyo desarrollo dentro de la trama encaja a la perfección y se convierte además en personaje predilecto. Hasta ese momento, últimas cien páginas, es un cómic soberbio. Si me quitas las luchitas telepáticas Bien versus Mal e ilustras el conflicto interior de Kuro una manera menos pueril, menos explícita que ese monstruo en el que todos podemos convertirnos, y más siguiendo con la historia tal como venía siendo, entonces le habría cascado cinco estrellas. Brutal también el subtexto, en el que el leit motiv de la violencia se manifiesta en formas menos sangrientas pero igualmente dañinas, como son la pérdida de identidad de lo local frente a la estandarización capitalista; los nuevos medios de seducción del sistema, que extiende sus garras hacia algo que siempre había sido sagrado: la infancia; el miedo de que esto puede pasar en cualquier lugar y en cualquier momento... y, a la vez, una chispa de esperanza en las cosas esenciales de la vida, porque siempre hay una elección personal que hace que la humanidad prevalezca.
Lean este manga, si es posible en la edición de Glénat. Huyan de la aberración cinematográfica. Y no se preocupen demasiado por los "innecesarios" fuegos artificiales del final, que lo único que hacen es bajarle una estrella a la reseña de un lector demasiado maníatico con las puntuaciones.
Lean este manga, si es posible en la edición de Glénat. Huyan de la aberración cinematográfica. Y no se preocupen demasiado por los "innecesarios" fuegos artificiales del final, que lo único que hacen es bajarle una estrella a la reseña de un lector demasiado maníatico con las puntuaciones.
December 4, 2007
White is an eleven-year-old orphan, perpetually innocent but a bit dim. Black is a thirteen-year-old orphan, street-smart but extremely violent and slightly off his rocker. The two boys live in an old beat-up car in the worn-down district of Treasure Town, Osaka, and spend their days flying (yes, you heard that right, flying) from roof to roof, protecting what Black calls "their" city from any gang members, yakuza and alien assassins (alien assassins, right) who are unfortunate enough to cross onto their turf. But when an old yakuza called the Rat comes to town, bringing decay and corruption in his wake, it will take all of White's mysterious powers and Black's waning sanity to come out on top...
The first thing that hits you about Tekkonkinkreet is the art--no angles, big-eyed protaganists or giant swords here. Although it may look really unappealing at first--it was to me, anyway--the art eventually grows on you, and as time goes on you begin to realize that there's a heck of a lot of content in each panel. You can literally read the words on signs from miles away, Treasure Town reaches towards the sky like a crazy Lego castle and the sun and moon change their expression depending on how the characters are feeling. Then there's the violence to consider, as there is a LOT of violence in Tekkon Kinkreet. While this book isn't as bloody as say, Lone Wolf and Cub, it's still kind of disturbing to see Black smashing in the heads of Yakuza, grinning like a demon and spitting out broken teeth. There's also a bit of nudity (although again, nothing as serious as, say, Watchmen) and a couple of really bad swear words. While the book may not fully deserve its "M" rating by Viz, it's still not exactly appropriate reading for, say, ten year olds, despite the fact that the protagonists are children.
The violence isn't the point, though; rather, the focus of the story is the relationship between Black and White, which is developed really, really well throughout the series. At first glance, White needs Black the most; heck, he can't even tie his shoes properly without black helping him. As the series goes on, though, the story continuously forces you to rethink this, and that's part of the fun.
Highly reccomended.
The first thing that hits you about Tekkonkinkreet is the art--no angles, big-eyed protaganists or giant swords here. Although it may look really unappealing at first--it was to me, anyway--the art eventually grows on you, and as time goes on you begin to realize that there's a heck of a lot of content in each panel. You can literally read the words on signs from miles away, Treasure Town reaches towards the sky like a crazy Lego castle and the sun and moon change their expression depending on how the characters are feeling. Then there's the violence to consider, as there is a LOT of violence in Tekkon Kinkreet. While this book isn't as bloody as say, Lone Wolf and Cub, it's still kind of disturbing to see Black smashing in the heads of Yakuza, grinning like a demon and spitting out broken teeth. There's also a bit of nudity (although again, nothing as serious as, say, Watchmen) and a couple of really bad swear words. While the book may not fully deserve its "M" rating by Viz, it's still not exactly appropriate reading for, say, ten year olds, despite the fact that the protagonists are children.
The violence isn't the point, though; rather, the focus of the story is the relationship between Black and White, which is developed really, really well throughout the series. At first glance, White needs Black the most; heck, he can't even tie his shoes properly without black helping him. As the series goes on, though, the story continuously forces you to rethink this, and that's part of the fun.
Highly reccomended.
May 13, 2013
This is one of my favourite comic books. It's surreal and sort of mystical in a way that isn't lame, but is instead psychological and unexpectedly violent. I was very surprised by this book.
UPDATED REVIEW:
Two years after first reading this book, I have come back to it again and again, each time finding more to love. This has gone from being a really nice surprise and "one of my favourite comic books" to being my favourite BOOK, period.
UPDATED REVIEW:
Two years after first reading this book, I have come back to it again and again, each time finding more to love. This has gone from being a really nice surprise and "one of my favourite comic books" to being my favourite BOOK, period.
August 2, 2024
TEKKONKINKREET - Taiyō Matsumoto (1993 - 1994)
خیلی تعریف تکونکینکریت (لعنت به گودریدز که مجبورم میکنه فارسی بنویسم) رو از کسایی شنیده بودم که سلیقهشون رو قبول داشتم، اما هیچوقت کسی درست نگفته بود چه سبکیه یا داستانش چطوریه. حالا فهمیدم دلیلش این بوده که یکم توضیحش سخته، این مانگا شبیه ترکیب چندتا ساب ژانر مهم و چندتایی ناشناخته بود.
حتی من که قبلا دو سه تا سری از کارهای تایو ماتسوموتو رو خونده بودم انتظار نداشتم این مانگا اینقدر قوی باشه. یعنی ماتسوموتو کارش خوبه، حتی میتونم بگم یکی از فانترین مانگاهایی که چند سال اخیر خوندم "شماره ی پنج" بود. ولی آخرش استایل شخصی خودش بعضی وقتا داستان رو از بین میبره، خیلی چیزها رو فدا میکنه تا بتونه استایلش رو کامل نشون بده. اما تکونکینکریت اصلا اینطور نبود. به شدت منسجمه به عنوان یک مانگای "شهری" و "رئال جادویی"، شخصیتها به حدی خوب ساخته شدن که قابل باورن و مهمتر از همه... نمیدونم بشه گفت این یه مانگای یاکوزا بود یا نه، اما اگه بیاییم بذاریمش توی اون دسته، بهترین میشه.
داستان جالبی هم داره، دوتا پسر به اسم "سیاه" و "سفید" هستن که تقریبا قدرتهای ماورایی دارن، شاید هم ندارن (؟) و توی یک شهری به اسم شهر گنج (باور کنین به انگلیسی بهتر صدا میده) زندگی میکنن. سیاه قوی و باهوشه، سفید هم به نظر میاد که اوتیسم داشته باشه و بیشتر وقتها سیاه حواسش بهش هست که بتونه زندگی خوبی داشته باشه. بین این دوتا کاراکتر و شهر رابطهی خیلی عمیقی هست، اینطوریه که خیابون و محیطِ شهری رو مال خودشون میدونن و سعی میکنن جلوی اعضای یاکوزا که قصد دارن شهر رو تغییر بدن و تصاحب کنن وایسن.
داستان بیشتر حول محور روابط سیاه و سفید، دوستی، ناعدالتیهای اجتماعی و آسیب دیدن بچهها توی دنیایی که باهاشون بیرحمه میچرخه. توی حدود ششصد صفحه تمام شخصیتهای اصلی و فرعی اینقدری عمیق میشن که اهمیت پیدا کنن (چیزی که معمولا مانگاها توش مشکل دارن) و یکی از بهترین نمونههای چیزی بود که ما به اسم "ادبیات شهری" میشناسیم. در کل خوندنش واقعا تجربهی خوبی بود.
پ.ن: شباهت خیلی زیادی بین شهر گنج و شهری که توی آهنگ هاوس اف د رایزینگ سان (گودریدز ازت متنفرم!) در موردش صحبت میشه هست. حتی سهجای مختلف توی مانگا بهش اشاره میکنه. جالب بود برام که از اون شعر اینطوری هم استفاده شده.
خیلی تعریف تکونکینکریت (لعنت به گودریدز که مجبورم میکنه فارسی بنویسم) رو از کسایی شنیده بودم که سلیقهشون رو قبول داشتم، اما هیچوقت کسی درست نگفته بود چه سبکیه یا داستانش چطوریه. حالا فهمیدم دلیلش این بوده که یکم توضیحش سخته، این مانگا شبیه ترکیب چندتا ساب ژانر مهم و چندتایی ناشناخته بود.
حتی من که قبلا دو سه تا سری از کارهای تایو ماتسوموتو رو خونده بودم انتظار نداشتم این مانگا اینقدر قوی باشه. یعنی ماتسوموتو کارش خوبه، حتی میتونم بگم یکی از فانترین مانگاهایی که چند سال اخیر خوندم "شماره ی پنج" بود. ولی آخرش استایل شخصی خودش بعضی وقتا داستان رو از بین میبره، خیلی چیزها رو فدا میکنه تا بتونه استایلش رو کامل نشون بده. اما تکونکینکریت اصلا اینطور نبود. به شدت منسجمه به عنوان یک مانگای "شهری" و "رئال جادویی"، شخصیتها به حدی خوب ساخته شدن که قابل باورن و مهمتر از همه... نمیدونم بشه گفت این یه مانگای یاکوزا بود یا نه، اما اگه بیاییم بذاریمش توی اون دسته، بهترین میشه.
داستان جالبی هم داره، دوتا پسر به اسم "سیاه" و "سفید" هستن که تقریبا قدرتهای ماورایی دارن، شاید هم ندارن (؟) و توی یک شهری به اسم شهر گنج (باور کنین به انگلیسی بهتر صدا میده) زندگی میکنن. سیاه قوی و باهوشه، سفید هم به نظر میاد که اوتیسم داشته باشه و بیشتر وقتها سیاه حواسش بهش هست که بتونه زندگی خوبی داشته باشه. بین این دوتا کاراکتر و شهر رابطهی خیلی عمیقی هست، اینطوریه که خیابون و محیطِ شهری رو مال خودشون میدونن و سعی میکنن جلوی اعضای یاکوزا که قصد دارن شهر رو تغییر بدن و تصاحب کنن وایسن.
داستان بیشتر حول محور روابط سیاه و سفید، دوستی، ناعدالتیهای اجتماعی و آسیب دیدن بچهها توی دنیایی که باهاشون بیرحمه میچرخه. توی حدود ششصد صفحه تمام شخصیتهای اصلی و فرعی اینقدری عمیق میشن که اهمیت پیدا کنن (چیزی که معمولا مانگاها توش مشکل دارن) و یکی از بهترین نمونههای چیزی بود که ما به اسم "ادبیات شهری" میشناسیم. در کل خوندنش واقعا تجربهی خوبی بود.
پ.ن: شباهت خیلی زیادی بین شهر گنج و شهری که توی آهنگ هاوس اف د رایزینگ سان (گودریدز ازت متنفرم!) در موردش صحبت میشه هست. حتی سهجای مختلف توی مانگا بهش اشاره میکنه. جالب بود برام که از اون شعر اینطوری هم استفاده شده.
June 11, 2020
Masterpiece. A loving story about two street urchins named Black and White. White is a pure child, innocent, hopeful, playful; while Black takes on most of the responsibility and the darkness of life on the streets. When yakuza start moving into town and the town starts getting gentrified, every character in the story reacts differently, with some side characters lamenting that the city will never be the same, others trying to take advantage of the situation, but Black takes it personally. This is "his" city and he isn't about to let yakuza take it. White on the other hand, just wants to live happily, and peacefully, with Black. This explores their relationship to each other and to the city.
December 4, 2012
(More pictures at parkablogs.com)
Tekkon Kinkreet was originally published as a Japanese manga in 1993. The title is a pun on "Tekkin" and "Concrete", the Japanese term for reinforced concrete.
Just four years before creating Tekkon Kinkreet, Taiyo Matsumoto had traveled to France for artistic research. The style of art in this book was heavily the French comics he studied there. It's a mixture of French line art with Japanese manga paneling.
The story is about two orphans, Black and White, who live in the fictional Treasure Town as they take on the yakuzas trying to take over the city. They are street kids, known as the Cats. Black is violent and sees it his responsibility to take care of his seemingly innocent brother White. Oh, and these boys can fly, literally.
Just as the names of the kids suggest, this theme is on the light and darkness. It's about how the kids relationship with people around them, having to find the way in their own lives on the streets, most oftentimes ending with violence. It is a gritty tale about friendship and change. There are no heroes in this book.
I actually bought the book after viewing the Blu-ray version of the anime. The adaptation is quite faithful. In fact, I was underwhelmed by the comic since the anime featured some pretty spectacular background paintings. The manga is a distilled version of that in terms of art and style. You should read the book first before watching the anime.
The story is simple, really, narrative absorbing. Overall recommended.
October 18, 2020
Extremely violent yet very poetic, a book like none other.
Two stray kids try to survive in the urban violence of a yakusa corrupted city. Surrealist stuff happens, violence grows and grows, people die and souls are saved. That's it in a nutshell. Weird but engrossing.
The pacing is sometimes off and the narration cryptic, just like the interactions between characters but I guess that's often the case in manga, at least for me. Cultural differences probably. But it didn't diminished my interest one bit. It entertained the surrealist poetry envelopping it instead.
The art is very, very different than your regular manga. Or your regular comic book for that matter. A strange mix of manga, european and even south american style (it often somehow made me think of argentinian artist Jose Sampayo). It's not pretty, it's not always very accurate but it certainly is fascinating.
More 4.5 than 5* but gladly rounded up.
Two stray kids try to survive in the urban violence of a yakusa corrupted city. Surrealist stuff happens, violence grows and grows, people die and souls are saved. That's it in a nutshell. Weird but engrossing.
The pacing is sometimes off and the narration cryptic, just like the interactions between characters but I guess that's often the case in manga, at least for me. Cultural differences probably. But it didn't diminished my interest one bit. It entertained the surrealist poetry envelopping it instead.
The art is very, very different than your regular manga. Or your regular comic book for that matter. A strange mix of manga, european and even south american style (it often somehow made me think of argentinian artist Jose Sampayo). It's not pretty, it's not always very accurate but it certainly is fascinating.
More 4.5 than 5* but gladly rounded up.
May 4, 2008
This is one of my favorites. Few people have clashed magical realism with street nihilism the way Matsumoto has. The story centers around two street urchins in a timeless Japanese city, trying to protect it against gentrification (brought on by gangsters and aliens?) all the while trying the survive the harsh streets. But it does not feel particularly outlandish or cartoonish because the characters, their speeches, and their struggles were all wonderfully detailed. The movie that came out this year was great as well.
October 13, 2023
Nie jest to zbyt skomplikowana historia, więc jeśli ktoś w kilku zdaniach streściłby mi fabułę, prawdopodobnie nie miałbym żadnej potrzeby, by po to sięgać. A jednak status, jaki zyskała z upływem lat, wzbudzał ciekawość. Pierwsze zaskoczenie - kreska. Jestem już na tyle dużym chłopcem, by wiedzieć, że nie ma jednego wzorca rysowania mang, nawet jeśli przypadkowi czytelnicy odnoszą inne wrażenie. Mimo że japońskie komiksy niosą ze sobą całe spektrum stylów i tematów, większość kojarzy je jednak z rysunkami typowymi dla głównego nurtu. W dziele Matsumoto najbardziej japońska jest dynamika i przerysowane postacie, natomiast widzę tu sporo odniesień do klasyki niezależnego amerykańskiego komiksu z kręgu magazynu "Zap" czy europejskiego - bliskiego choćby Moebiusowi.
"Tekken Kinkrett" to mistrzostwo w kwestii kreowania klimatu i dusznej atmosfery. Działa mocno, bo przedstawia losy dzieciaków, którzy sami muszą sobie radzić w okrutnym świecie. Wszystko jest tu wyolbrzymione - zdolność do wykorzystywania infrastruktury miasta, spektakularne pojedynki czy mimika postaci, ale sama relacja braci i ich symboliczne role w tej opowieści mocno oddziałują na czytelnika. Ten symboliczny aspekt dojdzie do głosu głównie w końcówce, choć można się go domyślać już na początku, poznając imiona bohaterów. Poruszyła mnie ta historia braterskiej miłości, która doprowadza Białego i Czarnego na skraj szaleństwa. Przygniatał i fascynował wykreowany świat. Współczułem, kibicowałem i przejmowałem się, więc dołączam do grona piewców
"Tekken Kinkrett" to mistrzostwo w kwestii kreowania klimatu i dusznej atmosfery. Działa mocno, bo przedstawia losy dzieciaków, którzy sami muszą sobie radzić w okrutnym świecie. Wszystko jest tu wyolbrzymione - zdolność do wykorzystywania infrastruktury miasta, spektakularne pojedynki czy mimika postaci, ale sama relacja braci i ich symboliczne role w tej opowieści mocno oddziałują na czytelnika. Ten symboliczny aspekt dojdzie do głosu głównie w końcówce, choć można się go domyślać już na początku, poznając imiona bohaterów. Poruszyła mnie ta historia braterskiej miłości, która doprowadza Białego i Czarnego na skraj szaleństwa. Przygniatał i fascynował wykreowany świat. Współczułem, kibicowałem i przejmowałem się, więc dołączam do grona piewców
May 21, 2024
This was incredible. Beautiful, sad, uplifting and poignant. It made me want to be a kid again and jump from the rooftop and fly around.
As I get older there are not many books where I think, I’ll read that again, but this is one I will be reading over and over again.
I want to cry and scream for joy at the same time.
As I get older there are not many books where I think, I’ll read that again, but this is one I will be reading over and over again.
I want to cry and scream for joy at the same time.
August 2, 2014
(Aren't they cute? :D)
I think that picture seems to resonate with the essence of this book since I see a glimpse of love and peace in the midst of extreme violence. Formerly, it’s hard for me to follow the storyline since its narrative style is somehow dreamlike and Matsumoto adds some elusive elements, such as Black and White’s ability to fly, or three (alien?) assassins that are greatly strong and humongous. So, I decided to watch the movie first (a bit tricky, eh? :D). I agree with Gabriel’s review that said the movie and the book are great complement to each other. After I watched the movie I didn’t find any difficulty to read the book, yet what I couldn’t understand in the movie was being filled by the book.
Anyway, I like Matsumoto’s approach in Tekkon Kinkreet. The relationship between Black and White seems ingenuous at first, but soon I learn that their bond is more complex.
Doctor: He appears to be in an extreme state of shock.
Gramps: Wrong. You never know how attached is Black to White. If White dies so does Black.
Doctor: Huh? I don’t get it.
Gramps: I don’t know what they’re mixed up in either. But Black has already lost all faith in the living. He’s only purpose is to protect White. If White dies he’ll have no reason to go on. Black isn’t in shock. In situation like this, it’s disturbing how calm he gets.
Black: I think God is trying to take White away from me.
Gramps: That boy is tougher than you think and you are not as though as you think. To my mind White is the one who’s been protecting you.
Sawada: You never ask about Black, why is that? Aren’t you worried about him?
White: God made people, right? How come He didn’t make them all the same? Fat, thin, tall, short people. He made lotsa mistakes. When God made me, I think He was sorry about how big he made the hippo’s mouth. So I’m missing lotsa screws. Screws in the heart. And Black, Black too. He’s missing lotsa screws too. Heart srews.
Sawada: So God made a mistake with Black?
White: Uh-huh! But White has screws for the parts Black doesn’t. White has them all.
Matsumoto mixes injurious scenes with poignant aspects, showing the human side of most characters. It makes me realize that it is not really about violence, but the tenderness and pain we have when we really care for someone/something. Although the atmosphere is mostly bleak, in the end, it actually fills me with hope.
White: When the sky goes black...I feel kinda' sad. How come?
Black: Don’t you worry 'bout a thing, White. Nobody's gonna break us. They're all garbage.
=))
(Seems like I’m obsessed with Black, btw)
June 8, 2020
I was expecting a lot from it being the most popular of Taiyo Mastsumoto's work but disappointed.
As with all his works, he experiments with Art. It's unique and ugly. Not to my liking. By the time I took to it, the manga was over.
The story about the two kids having polar personalities living in the crime-filled town seems meaningless in the beginning but as you start Volume 3 it starts making sense. The subtle way the story unfolds and the conclusion to all the plots (Black & White, Rat & Kimura) are beautiful and sad.
As soon as I really started to enjoy the writing in Volume 3 things got confusing for me with the identity of the Minotaur.
At the end I only enjoyed 1/6th of the book.
As with all his works, he experiments with Art. It's unique and ugly. Not to my liking. By the time I took to it, the manga was over.
The story about the two kids having polar personalities living in the crime-filled town seems meaningless in the beginning but as you start Volume 3 it starts making sense. The subtle way the story unfolds and the conclusion to all the plots (Black & White, Rat & Kimura) are beautiful and sad.
As soon as I really started to enjoy the writing in Volume 3 things got confusing for me with the identity of the Minotaur.
At the end I only enjoyed 1/6th of the book.
May 6, 2014
Tekkonkinkreet has a unique charm that engulfs you whenever you read it. It is outright violent, yet there's a calm and visceral tick you will feel. Black and White and the whole of Treasure Town will really get into your heart in an odd way, and I really cannot explain it, but certainly gave me a smile by the time I finished reading the book. There may be some skirmishes (chapters) which I think are unnecessary, and annoying HYUUUUUs, plus really, really weird things which the author didn't bother to explain - but hey, this is Japanese Manga! Tekkonkinkreet is indeed an interesting addition to your reading collection.
July 20, 2023
What a manga!
It is one of the artworks I want to reread. It was powerful. It was beautiful. You could feel everything in this book - From the strong brotherhood to the soul of the city.
I am in love with every single character except assassins, they are kinda ugly.
"You can't organize emotions like books on a shelf"
It is one of the artworks I want to reread. It was powerful. It was beautiful. You could feel everything in this book - From the strong brotherhood to the soul of the city.
I am in love with every single character except assassins, they are kinda ugly.
"You can't organize emotions like books on a shelf"
February 18, 2025
La obra más popular y transmedia de Taiyo Matsumoto finalmente en edición argentina en una edición integral 3 en 1.
Hace varios años se conseguía la edición española también basada en una versión japonesa anterior.
Hace varios años se conseguía la edición española también basada en una versión japonesa anterior.
August 14, 2007
originally read it in Japanese a while ago, this is the sweetest, saddest, most beautiful coming-of-age brothers story ever.
December 20, 2020
Dang, what a ride. After I read the first couple of chapters, I honestly didn’t know that I would like it as I thought it was a little weird, but I’m so glad I kept going. The development of the story and characters was incredible. By the half point, I couldn’t put it down. Amazing.
January 26, 2024
Los personajes dan mucha ternura pero sobretodo las ilustracioneeeeees increibles para mi gusto⭐️
March 3, 2021
Charming, shoddy, Pynchon in doodles.
December 22, 2022
My introduction to the world of Tekkonkinkreet was actually the 2006 film adaptation, which doesn’t look or even feel like modern anime. This largely comes down to being the first anime feature to be directed by a non-Japanese director, who is willing to stay true to the source material, which itself was such a departure to the general market of manga.
Taking place in the fictional city of Treasure Town, the story centres on a pair of orphaned street kids – the tough, canny Kuro Black and the childish, innocent White, together known as the Cats – as they deal with Yakuza attempting to take over Treasure Town.
My first exposure to Taiyō Matsumoto’s work was reading the first volume of Ping Pong, an odd mixture of cold characterisation and surreal table tennis matches that entirely anchored by the author’s artwork, which is unconventional compared to the normalcy of most manga. If you look at the manga-ka's background, in which he visited France, where the comics by Moebius and Enki Bilal were a major influence on Matsumoto.
Considering that the character designs are sketchy at best as the anatomy can be loose, the not-so-polished presentation is not an issue and that comes down to the setting that the characters inhabit. There may be Japanese ethnicity and iconography, but there is a diversity in the design of Treasure Town that feels like an extravagant toy-box where the two central boys dominate it as a violent playground.
With the diverse nature of Treasure Town, Matsumoto combines multiple genres from childlike wonder where the kids fly like superheroes, to a Yakuza crime narrative about competing for the control of the town. Schizophrenic as it sounds and yet it doesn’t matter if logic has left the building, because the characters themselves are so spot-on, such as the not-so-subtle yin-yang nature of Black and White, which leads to surreal fantasy. Another character in the spotlight, is the Yakuza gang member Kimura, who starts off as a minor antagonist, only for him to screw up in his criminal occupation and struggling to find purpose in a criminal underworld that changing as is the town in front of his eyes.
A lot happens in this 600+ page book, but its multi-layered narrative is anchored in the understandable fear of change, whether it is your home becoming something you don’t recognise, or the realisation that you’re in the twilight years of your youth. As dark and surreal as the story goes, especially in the later stages, Tekkonkinkreet has a positive outcome about how it feels to be a child, whether through excitement and even heartbreak.
Taking place in the fictional city of Treasure Town, the story centres on a pair of orphaned street kids – the tough, canny Kuro Black and the childish, innocent White, together known as the Cats – as they deal with Yakuza attempting to take over Treasure Town.
My first exposure to Taiyō Matsumoto’s work was reading the first volume of Ping Pong, an odd mixture of cold characterisation and surreal table tennis matches that entirely anchored by the author’s artwork, which is unconventional compared to the normalcy of most manga. If you look at the manga-ka's background, in which he visited France, where the comics by Moebius and Enki Bilal were a major influence on Matsumoto.
Considering that the character designs are sketchy at best as the anatomy can be loose, the not-so-polished presentation is not an issue and that comes down to the setting that the characters inhabit. There may be Japanese ethnicity and iconography, but there is a diversity in the design of Treasure Town that feels like an extravagant toy-box where the two central boys dominate it as a violent playground.
With the diverse nature of Treasure Town, Matsumoto combines multiple genres from childlike wonder where the kids fly like superheroes, to a Yakuza crime narrative about competing for the control of the town. Schizophrenic as it sounds and yet it doesn’t matter if logic has left the building, because the characters themselves are so spot-on, such as the not-so-subtle yin-yang nature of Black and White, which leads to surreal fantasy. Another character in the spotlight, is the Yakuza gang member Kimura, who starts off as a minor antagonist, only for him to screw up in his criminal occupation and struggling to find purpose in a criminal underworld that changing as is the town in front of his eyes.
A lot happens in this 600+ page book, but its multi-layered narrative is anchored in the understandable fear of change, whether it is your home becoming something you don’t recognise, or the realisation that you’re in the twilight years of your youth. As dark and surreal as the story goes, especially in the later stages, Tekkonkinkreet has a positive outcome about how it feels to be a child, whether through excitement and even heartbreak.
October 1, 2018
This is the first manga I read, and was wonderful experience.
I Watched lots of anime by now, so I was reading and immediately imagining how this or that would be presented in the anime form. I was constantly in wonder of the story's density. I could have been looking at a single panel and see the same amount of information and emotion squeezed into it as into dozens of frames in the movie. Faces, details of environment, sounds (written sounds, isn't it weird?), all was really easy to comprehend.
As for the story, it was also interesting to follow. Black and White (Shiro & Kuro, as I reminded myself, preparing to watch the movie) live by themselves on the streets of Treasure town. As everything unfolded, I got to know about the tight emotional bond between the two, their daily routine (taking bath etc.) and quick response to unjust comments from others. There is a lot of violence in this manga compared to what I'm used to, like, a lot. (Black and white blood is on its own an interesting topic do discuss). You don't get to see a meaningless extent of violence, but, as another reviewer puts it, "...it's ... kind of disturbing to see Black smashing in the heads of yakuza, grinning like a demon and spitting out broken teeth.".
The ending, however, was surprising to me. The whole manga went as a criminal story, unfolding relations between Cats, Rat, police, and others. But in the end it took somewhat psychedelic turn, and I was left unsure that I got everything right. Probably, watching the adaptation will help me.
I really liked, though, this light & dark theme of the book. Black is strong and so he protects White. But White is the reason that keeps Black alive and sane. And who knows which one is more important.
I Watched lots of anime by now, so I was reading and immediately imagining how this or that would be presented in the anime form. I was constantly in wonder of the story's density. I could have been looking at a single panel and see the same amount of information and emotion squeezed into it as into dozens of frames in the movie. Faces, details of environment, sounds (written sounds, isn't it weird?), all was really easy to comprehend.
As for the story, it was also interesting to follow. Black and White (Shiro & Kuro, as I reminded myself, preparing to watch the movie) live by themselves on the streets of Treasure town. As everything unfolded, I got to know about the tight emotional bond between the two, their daily routine (taking bath etc.) and quick response to unjust comments from others. There is a lot of violence in this manga compared to what I'm used to, like, a lot. (Black and white blood is on its own an interesting topic do discuss). You don't get to see a meaningless extent of violence, but, as another reviewer puts it, "...it's ... kind of disturbing to see Black smashing in the heads of yakuza, grinning like a demon and spitting out broken teeth.".
The ending, however, was surprising to me. The whole manga went as a criminal story, unfolding relations between Cats, Rat, police, and others. But in the end it took somewhat psychedelic turn, and I was left unsure that I got everything right. Probably, watching the adaptation will help me.
I really liked, though, this light & dark theme of the book. Black is strong and so he protects White. But White is the reason that keeps Black alive and sane. And who knows which one is more important.
July 26, 2020
4.5 Stars*
This book was a really fun and genuinely interesting ride. The main characters Black and White are crude as can be kids and it really makes them stand out in this wacky, quite brutal world.
The story felt random at first but it came together more and more. The antagonists bring a lot to the table and are all-around quite out there in general, they're not boring whatsoever and really enhance the story even more. I have to warn you though, this book has an explicit content warning for a reason. There is violence, blood, gore, and nudity. Even one of the main characters has some nudity, and he's a minor boy. Not in a dark scene though, so no worries there. Personally, that doesn't bother me because it makes a story more gritty and real to me, but I thought I'd let you know. If anything I'd applaud it for its bravery.
I have to mention the art, because, to me, it's amazing. It fits so well with the story being told here. It's gritty, crude, and not really refined at all. The lines can be thick and not slick whatsoever. Sometimes it can even feel childish, which makes it all the better to me because that's what the story is as well. The artist was really smart to go with this style, because it only adds to it all as a whole.
I have to admit, I didn't fully understand the ending. It felt kinda random but I didn't hate it. I guess it makes sense because the story itself is quite weird, so the ending would be even weirder. But it's not a bad ending I think, just... different.
All in all, very great read and I'd highly recommend it for anyone who wants to read a good all in one manga or graphic novel. This edition is printed as a regular graphic novel so it's not a reverse reading order, which makes it easier for non-manga readers. I personally would've liked the original format, but it is what it is.
This book was a really fun and genuinely interesting ride. The main characters Black and White are crude as can be kids and it really makes them stand out in this wacky, quite brutal world.
The story felt random at first but it came together more and more. The antagonists bring a lot to the table and are all-around quite out there in general, they're not boring whatsoever and really enhance the story even more. I have to warn you though, this book has an explicit content warning for a reason. There is violence, blood, gore, and nudity. Even one of the main characters has some nudity, and he's a minor boy. Not in a dark scene though, so no worries there. Personally, that doesn't bother me because it makes a story more gritty and real to me, but I thought I'd let you know. If anything I'd applaud it for its bravery.
I have to mention the art, because, to me, it's amazing. It fits so well with the story being told here. It's gritty, crude, and not really refined at all. The lines can be thick and not slick whatsoever. Sometimes it can even feel childish, which makes it all the better to me because that's what the story is as well. The artist was really smart to go with this style, because it only adds to it all as a whole.
I have to admit, I didn't fully understand the ending. It felt kinda random but I didn't hate it. I guess it makes sense because the story itself is quite weird, so the ending would be even weirder. But it's not a bad ending I think, just... different.
All in all, very great read and I'd highly recommend it for anyone who wants to read a good all in one manga or graphic novel. This edition is printed as a regular graphic novel so it's not a reverse reading order, which makes it easier for non-manga readers. I personally would've liked the original format, but it is what it is.
September 5, 2009
Tekkon Kinkreet investigates the premise that true friendship can conquer all hardships. But this is no easy friendship and the hardships are not of a regular kind. In a magical realist style (think Gabriel García Márquez, Haruki Murakami, and Salman Rushdie), Matsumoto introduces to the reader Black and White, one pessimistic and destructive, the other optimistic and ... part destructive, part helping creation. The two live in the streets of a concrete-cum-slum city, which they nevertheless love and try to protect against change. To do this, they stand off against the corporate world, the mob (yakuza), the corrupt police, the local street-gangs, but also their own demons. Tekkon Kinkreet combines masterfully an action-filled manga with thought-provoking elements of soul-searching, friendship, and the meaning of violence. You will cry when White is hurt and laugh when a tree sprouts in the concrete jungle. You will cringe when Black loses his mind and relax when White is protected by the police. And if you're like me you will love this book for what it is: a wonderful story about true friendship.
March 28, 2008
After watching the movie, I picked up the manga with high hopes. Most of those hopes were shattered in the first few pages. The storytelling feels disjointed (purposefully so, as the different threads of the story are all told at the same time, weaving the different plots through two or three panels on one page), leaving me with that much more work to piece together all the characters and their motivations. While the movie fixed that problem (while jumping around enough to match the manga it was based off of), the movie left out many interesting and important parts that the manga filled in. Parts like how ruthless White is from the start; how Black gets the wound from the Minotaur; what was happening while White was in custody of the police and how far down Black goes into his madness spiral. All of these things are hinted at in the movie, but in the manga they are fully developed and make much more sense.
So in the end, the first half of the manga was told in a much better fashion in the movie, but the second half of the movie was done in a much more fully realized way in the manga. I do recommend reading this if you truly enjoyed the movie since it makes the themes of the movie clearer and also helped me better appreciate the details of the movie, since many of them were taken straight from the manga.
This is one of those books, like Fight Club where the movie and the book are great complements to each other, each one being so close to the other that it is hard to tell which interpretation (print or film) is best suited to the story.
So in the end, the first half of the manga was told in a much better fashion in the movie, but the second half of the movie was done in a much more fully realized way in the manga. I do recommend reading this if you truly enjoyed the movie since it makes the themes of the movie clearer and also helped me better appreciate the details of the movie, since many of them were taken straight from the manga.
This is one of those books, like Fight Club where the movie and the book are great complements to each other, each one being so close to the other that it is hard to tell which interpretation (print or film) is best suited to the story.
April 29, 2020
It took me a few pages, but I absolutely loved it. Violent, but heartbreaking. Wow.
September 13, 2021
3.5
I saw the animated version of Tekkon Kinkurito a long time ago, and immediately it became one of my favourites. I'm a sucker for stories about mysterious loners in urban landscapes - add Japan, children and gangsters into the mix and I'll be there, eyes at the ready.
But I have to say the manga left me wanting more. It's because this story works so well distilled as it was in the two hour runtime of the film, with a well-defined beginning, middle and end, while the manga meandered into increasingly frustrating stroylines which took an age to find a natural ending. It didn't help that I found the art a little unnerving - Matsumoto's version for me underlined the violence, while the anime drew out the visual sweetness, a little bit of sugar to make the medicine (and there's a whole lot of bitter medicine) go down a little bit smoother.
I saw the animated version of Tekkon Kinkurito a long time ago, and immediately it became one of my favourites. I'm a sucker for stories about mysterious loners in urban landscapes - add Japan, children and gangsters into the mix and I'll be there, eyes at the ready.
But I have to say the manga left me wanting more. It's because this story works so well distilled as it was in the two hour runtime of the film, with a well-defined beginning, middle and end, while the manga meandered into increasingly frustrating stroylines which took an age to find a natural ending. It didn't help that I found the art a little unnerving - Matsumoto's version for me underlined the violence, while the anime drew out the visual sweetness, a little bit of sugar to make the medicine (and there's a whole lot of bitter medicine) go down a little bit smoother.
February 21, 2008
Matsumoto Taiyo's work enacts a beguiling poetic of violence. This manga, initially serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits, has never before been printed in one volume and we are lucky to finally see it. Kuro and Shiro (Japanese for Black and White) veer from roof to roof and from surreal, bloody encounters to those strangely endearing; it's best though when these collide into something new and powerful. Frenetic and breath-taking, Tekkon Kinkreet is what proved to me that manga can be something far more than big eyes and giant robots, and graphically demonstrates the very best that manga has to offer.
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