BECK

I have no attention actually to start writing about a Manga. I’ve been planning too but there were too much plot, too much to tell and anyway, I don’t know which Manga that I should tell, as there are tons of manga collections in my house, either the hardcopies or the one downloaded to my PC.

Then, one day, last Monday to be exact, Apek message me early in the morning, too early in fact that I haven’t when to bath yet. He said that there’s a new Manga that he found, Beck. He recommend me to download it, and if Apek said that a Manga is good, it is good, for the both of us at least. Then, as I downloaded it in the morning during office hour, he messaged me, again, always at lunch time, to haste the download, as he has no one to share his story with, well, this better be good.

And hell ya it’s good!!! This is not the typical Manga ladies and gentleman. There’s no super power heroes, the good guys do not always win, no super-duper hot chicks, the plot was very, very good. It’s a Manga that could reflect our everyday life, not everyone, but one could tell that there’s something in the Manga that could link to their life, past and present.

It’s a story about a rock/metal/new age band that called themselves Beck. Beck is actually the name of the lead guitarist’s (Ryusuke) dog, and as their leader and founder, when asked about their band’s name, could only think of a name with his name on it, of course, the others doesn’t agree on it, and as the dog is very special (I still don’t know why it has patches on it’s body) to all of them, they decided to name it that.

The story started with how the band started, their rise, and then fall down, rises again, fall again. The bands keep breaking and get together again and again. There are so many problems to begin with, the only real talent that the band got were Taira and Ryusuke by the way, and it’s real, as I reflected it on a couple of my friends’ band. Although, of course, I could see Zack (Rage Against the Machine) as their lead singer and their bassist was like the bassist from Red Hot Chilis Paper with his pant on but the characters were original.

Not only was that, but the love story that evolved between Maho (Ryusuke’s sister) and Koyuki (the band rhythm and the main character) was very, I don’t know how to say it, but it’s different, way too different, not only to Manga, but to any others love story as well, in TV or in any love novel.

I mean, the writer could make us feel that they are really in love. He make us feel their love, he doesn’t actually shown it in the drawings or writing, ooo well, if he shows it, I don’t think the Manga could go any farther.

Maho and Koyuki character were different. Maho is a Japanese that lived in America. She’s back to Japan following his father. She is very rude (by Japanese standard), clubbing, hang out with strangers, very outspoken and all the thing that an American girl would do. Koyuki once described her as not normal (they have a fight after that).

Koyuki? Well, mat skema. He joined the band because he was persuaded by his childhood friend (he got a crush on her). His guitar skill sucks (he got better actually, but still not that good) but his voice could make the crowd listen in awed. Even Chiba (the lead singer) goyang when he heard his voice (even thought the band would kicked him out). It’s his voice that makes Maho interested into him actually at first, until she learned the other good side of him.

Then again, as Maho always kicked him around, it’s interested to know that they loved each other so much. There are tons of fan waiting to be noticed by Koyuki, and guys were drooling when they saw Maho (even Apek, haha), they still with each other. Maho doesn’t showed her love to Koyuki directly but as Ryusuke once said

“The people who are strongest outside are weakest within”

(of course, he was describing her sister to Koyuki at that time), she showed it indirectly, by getting an autograph for Koyuki, reforming the band without Koyuki’s knowledge after Ryusuke’s left and many more. It’s hard to see her open up or cry, but when she did, yeah, Ryusuke’s word does have sense at all. The way the writer builds up their relationship was worth to be read.

Of course, they are still Chiba (lead singer, the comic’s clown), Taika (bassist) and Saku (drummer), each of them has their stories to tell, and with their producers, fans and rival. There a lot of plot in this story, but it was well developed.

In other word, get it, download it, or buy it, for the Manga fans, it is worth it, it’s fun anyway.