Hoshin Engi Vol 3

[meganbmoore]

In volume 3, Taikobo finally(ok, it's only volume 3, but I keep waiting for all the anime characters to show up) meets Raishinshi, the wild, winged 100th child(that is a LOT of childmaking...even if Raishinshi himself is adopted) of Sho Ki, who is currently imprisoned by Dakki, and Kou Hiko and Taikobo save the young princes from Dakki.  I admit, right now, much as I'm loving the manga, I'm waiting for where the anime branches off from it, because I've read up on the manga and there's all sorts of things I'm looking forward to, so the (slight) rehash is "this is good, BUT I'M READY FOR THE NEW-TO-ME stuff!"

One thing about it, though, is that, while I liked Taikobo in the anime, I admit that I didn't notice him as much there because...well...things happened fast and everyone else was always showing up and having their stories and they were all good.  But as things in the manga are moving at a more sedate pace, I can appreciate Taikobo and his zen and brains a lot more.

I also liked Taiitsu Shinjin and his attempts to straighten out Nataku's messed up personality(not that it'll work, which is really for the best.)

Comments

[sanada.livejournal.com]

If I remember correctly... the manga really starts to diverge from the anime around volume 10 or so, when the incredibly awesome Chou Koumei shows up, 'kills' Taikoubou and briefly replaces Houshin Engi with a shounen soccer manga. *laugh* Houshin Engi doesn't just break the literary 4th wall, it nukes it. Reading up on Taoism will make you appreciate Taikoubou even more... but Shinkouhyou has always been my #1 favorite. He's such a totally unrepentant pain in the ass.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

There are enough differences to keep me happy, I'm just wwwaaaaiiiiitttttiiiinnnngggg.

I'm also loving the 4th wall breaking going on so far, and I actually did read up a bit on Taoism a while back(and keep encountering it in wuxia) so I can appreciate Taikobo enough(though I am beginning to feel he is a character who could never be truly appreciated enough.)]

And Shinkouhyou rocks.

[sanada.livejournal.com]

I knoooow. ^^ I read the entire manga series in two days... I couldn't stop, it was so interesting!!

I thought I understood what kind fo guy Taikoubou was, but then in later volumes... wow. Just wow. In some ways, he's the lazy but noble trickster type... but then sometimes you get a glimpse of something that's hugely old and wise.

I love Shinkouhyou's hair. When I cosplayed him, the wig had to be stiffened with 4-inch nails...

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I watched the anime in 2 days, I think, does that count?

I can see that with Taikobo...he acts like a guy who just uses his smarts to get out of hard work, but there's this feeling with him that he's just too bloody good and cool for any of it and can't be bothered. And that is devotion to cosplaying.

[sanada.livejournal.com]

*laugh* That counts too!! Just making it through the anime at all counts, because compared to the manga, it's not that good. *laugh* They broadcast it as a Saturday morning cartoon so it didn't get the production values of a prime-time anime.

Even though Taikoubou is the main character, there are so many times when the reader has no idea what is going on in his head! How much does he know... how are things affecting him... Usually the hero is the reader's window on the story's world, but Taikoubou is always surprising!

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I was in love with the anime when i watched it early this year, then I got vol 1 of the manga and was "wwwooooooowwwwww" (rather like SDK and Saiyuki)

I rather like not knowing what's going on in Taikobo's head...

[sanada.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you know a manga is good when it grabs you with "wwwooooooooowwww!!"

Hehe, yeah, I kind of think it would be scary to know how he thinks...

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Somehow, I don't think we'd have a prayer of keeping up with his brain if we could get a peek into it.