Product Description: In the mighty Yamata Empire, magic and technology are one and the same. Now the Empire is preparing its ultimate feat of psycho-science: the destruction of all the negative karma in the galaxy. But will this mystical purification be the salvation of humanity -- or its ultimate destruction? Only one being can save the Empire from its folly: Susano, the God of Destruction.Wild, arrogant, and homicidal, Susano has come to teach the world the true nature of power! Masamune Shirow, creator of Appleseed, Dominion, Intron Depot, and Ghost in the Shell, has built a rabid worldwide following with his unique, eclectic, and visually stunning blend of science-fiction and fantasy.
the best manga I've ever read Well, I may not have a huge range in the manga that I have but I am very keen on Masamune Shirow, his fine style of drawing and his sense of humour and timing of it is perfect. Of all of his works and the more famous work included, I have decided that this is the best manga works that I have ever read, with the character of Sesano been my favorite character as he is looks cool and he brings in quite a lot of the comedy to the book and also provides moments of action to the story. The story is really quite difference to the other styles of the more technologically envolved books, suchas the Appleseed books or Ghost in the Shell, but this takes a similar depth in story line detail and originality with the uses of physco science (although occasionaly the ideas and concepts can be a little hard to follow, but even if you can't understand it then the story will still flow with little disturbances, but if you can follow books like Ghost in the Shell then you'll be fine with this book). This book is in my view one of the best illustrated books i've read with a good envolving plot line and the traditional Shirow style humor, so I recomend it very highly, escpecially to existing Shirow fans.
Fascinating ideas and silly jokes If you must bring only one book on an extended and boring trip, bring this one. Not so much due to the quality of its plot, which is convoluted enought to bring one to tears. Neither for the artistry and technique of the book, which although above par is not in the same league as Shirow's better-known Ghost in the Shell, or Yukito Kishiro's brilliantly illustrated Gunnm series. No, this book is worth bringing because of the sheer volume of fascinating ideas mentioned only in passing.
Shirow's works are always worth several rereads, partly because his work is so dense that it may take three or four passes through before you understand the whole plot. In this case, however, Shirow has really outdone himself. The reader is thrown headlong into a massively complex world with rules entirely its own, and expected to remember everything they've seen in order to understand what is to come. Don't skip or skim over a single line of dialogue, or you may miss an important clue about the nature of events to come.
A good foreknowledge of Japanese mythology helps immensely in understanding both the events and the elaborate jokes Shirow is making by recasting various deities and powers in his own context. I know I'm missing a number of cultural references myself. Fortunately, the author has seen fit to include a lengthy appendix on his world as it relates to "real" mythology, but this is also dense and possibly confusing, as he himself admits.
If complex plot and creative metaphysics aren't your bag, then the humor in this book still holds appeal. Riding above the heavy plot is a hefty dose of slapstick. Susano has some great one-liners for a God of Destruction, and the style of the dialogue is reflected in the illustration, which veers from detailed and realistic as the plot advances, to cartoony and dynamic as the characters trade quips and visual gags. The sight of the priest Fuzen staring at the blasted crater where one of his followers had just stood still sends me into paroxysms of laughter.
In the end, this book is not the best ever; go read Ghost in the Shell for a contender for that position. But it manages to succeed both as a complex pseudo-metaphysical treatise and a physical comedy. Laugh 'til your head hurts.
One of the best of Shirow's work Ok, if you are reading this you might already own the book or are pondering if it's worth it. If you fall in the second category, my advice: buy it ! It's not exactly the same kind if plotline or theme as the other mangas by Shirow (which are more down to earth and police based, in a sense), but it's wild, new and exciting. It may seem a little confusing and completly insane but it's a masterpiece both in story as in graphics. Well, if you are looking in checking the whole Shirow work, i would recommend starting with Dominion, Ghost in the Shell and then Appleseed (which is quite a story).
A Comment. Although I have never even touched or heard of this book before, I gladly accept the fact that this book is supposably great. To the person who gave it a bad review, YOU ARE SUCH A JERK! DON'T YOU GET THAT "it could have been better"SHOULD NOT BELONGED IN THE 1 STAR CATEGORY? FORGET YOU! ... that is all I have to say.
If you like Masamune Shirow, then you gotta have this one! I see what that person wrote and I can't belive that we are talking about the same book!! This is one of Masamune Shirow's best work!
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