D.Gray-man

[Drave]

Ah, this little gem. A queen among cliché kings, D.Gray-man is a darkly enticing gothic horror manga currently running in JUMP (surprised that nobody here seems to have mentioned it before, it's pretty popular--any fans speak up, I command ye >3). Think Tim Burton meets manga, in an off-beat way.

It's scheduled to be released by Viz in their Shonen Jump line sometime in May I think, so I wanted to jump the gun on this and create a topic before they actually do include an in-issue preview....

Well. Onto the basics. The story itself has a rich focus on Allen Walker, a young, impoverished British street-performer turned exorcist. In this alternate version of the 19th century (think 1890s), exorcists are clergymen in charge of killing 'Akuma', machine-like bone creations that take on human flesh (literally, they crawl in through the mouth and sink in) formed by the Millennium Earl, a strange phantom, with intents to destroy mankind. The Akuma themselves can only be formed when a person feels the despair of death. The Earl basically promises the mourner the ability to see the deceased again through the build (skeletal thing), but like I mentioned, that doesn't end well for them. They're made into Akuma.

Back to the exorcists: They're all given missions by the Black Religious Organization (in the science division, I think, under the direct order of the Vatican). They're dispatched from there to take care of strange cases involving the Akuma. The characters are where the series really shines, and you'll find that is is near damn impossible to hate any of them at all.

Moving on. The weapons the exorcists yield are one in the same, in that they contain a mysterious substance called 'Innocence' (having something to do with Noah's flood). It can actually be embedded in a person (like Allen), or in a weapon they yield (like Rabi, Allen's red-haired, badass, and eye patch-wielding partner, who battles with a huge mallet). They kill the Akuma with Innocence, basically. And there are insane Chinese scientists, too.

The Innocence is the only thing that can stop the Earl, so it's basically a race to find all compatible exorcists and scattered Innocence. Strange shit happens, apparently, because of it's magical properties. Moving dolls, a town where time stops moving, vampires, etc. It's all good fun. 'course, you can find a better summary of characters and the story itself in any of these places: 01 02.

Just look out for it's English release. About to the 8th volume in Japan now (72 chapters). It is licensed, as I mentioned, so I won't link to any scanlations: But it's not like I can stop you or anything. The written novels are also worth a look.

[Throes]

Wow, never heard of this one before, it sure sounds interesting, I shall have to check it out.

[Gus]

OoO

Yup, I'd heard good things bout this un, but I never really knew what it was about... damn! It looks pretty noice, I'ma hafta check it out.

[Ssteiny]

It's worth it. The art and the lay out is very well done. I've read the first chapter. Must get time and read more.

[Kyone]

Loved it. Then the downloading site conked, and I'm not past 20 chapters.

[Drave]

@ Sentai Squirrel: You mean Timcanpi? Nat [the editor] said it would be up again in about two weeks since they have the funds to pay for the domain now, but there are other sites that have up into the late 60s, so I could pm you a link if you want. Dammit I can't wait, I hope they finished the third part of the novel. I won't function normally until i find out if Allen kills that doctor.

@ Everyone else: Go forth and spread the love, my precious converts.

[Dessa]

Vanman has through volume 6. For some strange reason, Kinokuniya hasn't gotten volume 7 in yet.


Man, comparing it to Tim Burton is a vast understatement... DGM is dark and creepy... TB isn't.

[Drave]

Are you kidding me? The Nightmare Before Christmas scared the shit out of me when I was a kid :<.

Eh, I dunno XD. Series wise, maybe not, but I wouldn't say it's THAT much of an understatement, in the art? It could just be me, but seeing things in the series like a huge grinning moon, The Millennium Earl himself, and such delicately creepy scenes that are almost child-like (Rhode's little illusion world, Rero the umbrella, even some Akuma designs, etc). Even the fences that line the pathway to HQ. It just seems like stuff that's leaped forth from a Burton production, at times vision-wise.

Edit: Ugh, I feel for you. I'm dying to get my hands on 7 for the freaky cover alone, but Waldenbooks here is only up to 4 or so (haven't checked in a while)...

[Throes]

I also think it reminds me of something Tim Burton would do. I mean, alot of Tim Burton's movies are dark and creepy. Batman and Batman Returns were really dark movies. Mars Attacks isn't as creepy, but it is a dark film. Another thing I would say DGM and Tim Burton films have in common is their humor. I don't know if it's just me, but I find some parts of D.Gray-Man to be quite humorous. Many of Tim Burton's movies have humor, I cited Mars Attacks earlier, that movie, though really dark, has alot of humor. Batman and Batman Returns also have some humor, although not as much as Mars Attacks, but still some. Now, I'm not going into specifics because I've only read up to chapter 15 of DGM, but I do have to thank Drave for the recommendation.

[Drave]

I concur. I had forgotten all about it, but he did direct Sleepy Hollow, and that was one scary ass movie at times.

Oh, you'll find that it gets FAR better, by leaps and bounds, even. Volumes 4 through 5 are insanely good, and by that I mean that it is literally impossible (for me, at least) to stop reading all the way, chapter after chapter, once you start (I have to keep reading the chapters over again to get what's going on anyway). It's very dramatic during that time, and it leaves you with a lot on your mental plate, if you get what I'm saying. If it could be done right, I think an anime adaption would be amazing.

[Kyone]

idioteque said:

@ Sentai Squirrel: You mean Timcanpi? Nat [the editor] said it would be up again in about two weeks since they have the funds to pay for the domain now, but there are other sites that have up into the late 60s, so I could pm you a link if you want. Dammit I can't wait, I hope they finished the third part of the novel. I won't function normally until i find out if Allen kills that doctor.

No, I use a different site. I stopped reading after the links began to hate my computer. They probably work by now, so I can only blame my laziness.

Thanks for the offer, though.