Appleseed

Masamune Shirow's artwork remains as breathtaking as ever, meticulously detailed and beautifully rendered. Among his extensive body of work, the Appleseed manga stands out as my absolute favorite. While it's clear that Shirow has a penchant for illustrating cute girls, he never compromises the integrity of his storytelling.

The narrative in Appleseed is rich with depth, breadth, and coherence—a hallmark of Shirow's creations. The story masterfully blends suspense, action, drama, and romance into an insightful exploration of human nature. If you're expecting a straightforward "good guys always win" conclusion, you may find yourself disappointed, as Shirow delves into the transient and subjective nature of values. You might occasionally get lost in the highbrow philosophical musings, but ultimately, the characters are compelled to take decisive actions, whether for better or worse.

The characters in Appleseed are diverse, engaging, and thoroughly developed throughout the series. There are no gratuitous swimsuit volumes here. Shirow skillfully crafts a sense that there is always more happening beneath the surface with both his characters and his storyline, leaving readers with a profound sense of immersion and intrigue.

Appleseed marks an improvement over Masamune's earlier work, Black Magic, yet it still grapples with excessive philosophical exposition and dialogue that don't significantly contribute to world-building. Much of the narrative is a dramatized rendition akin to parts of the GitS franchise but lacks the sharp philosophical edge characteristic of GitS.

Deunan is less developed compared to Motoko, though she represents a considerable leap from characters in Black Magic. However, Appleseed notably diverges from traditional "Cyberpunk" elements, leaning more towards a space epic interspersed with romance drama and detective story elements, especially in the later volumes. Barrios can be seen as a precursor to Batou, sharing themes of police or special forces operations, albeit poorly explored, often culminating in grandiose character perspectives on nature without offering broader, defined stances within the overarching narrative.

Appleseed offers insight into the evolution of Masamune's artistic vision, providing a glimpse into the origins of the GitS universe and serving as a piece of Cyberpunk history. Approach this work with tempered expectations, appreciating it for what it is rather than what you might hope it to be, and its value will become apparent.

When the dust and ashes of global warfare finally settle, a man-made utopia emerges from the shadows to unify the fractured world. This grand project, over a century in the making, aims for peace, but trouble soon brews in this paradise.

Deunan Knute and Briareos Hecatonchires are trapped amidst the war’s aftermath, scavenging supplies in a crumbling ghost-town, isolated from the rest of the world. Upon rescue, they discover Olympus — this manufactured utopia — resembles a benign-looking powder keg.

The narrative begins with their adjustment to this ostensibly peaceful setting, highlighting their inability to relax as a form of characterization. After spending so much time in 'badside' (the term used by Olympus inhabitants for the war-torn wastes), they instinctively mistrust the clean streets, beautiful arcologies, and even the promised safety of warm beds.

Shirow's strong choice to separate them at times fosters growth in their new roles as ESWAT members and deepens their relationship. Their teamwork within ESWAT is arguably the most engaging part of Appleseed. The interplay between job demands and romantic needs adds emotional depth to their struggles.

Beyond Deunan’s bratty impulsiveness and Briareos’ cyborg coolness, discussing other characters proves challenging. In the first volume, we meet lively individuals like Hitomi, Yoshi, and key government players. They all have agendas, making their machinations enjoyable. However, as volumes progress, the character pool explodes chaotically.

If you remember three names by the manga's end, congratulations! You’ve got a better memory than this reviewer. By halfway, only main characters can be characterized; everyone else speaks with one voice. These weak functionaries serve as tech-jargon talkers, plot-exposition advancers, and dialogue-bubble fillers. Despite instilling verisimilitude, this sacrifices character depth. Unfortunately, focusing on sociopolitical maneuvering sidelines Deunan and Bri too often.

This issue mirrors the overall narrative structure. The first volume introduces Olympus-centric world-building, followed by systemic problems, international conflict, and extended sociopolitical intrigue. As our worldview expands, initial excitement wanes. Watching Olympus' external stability battles pales compared to its internal struggles. Suddenly, it’s about covert ops and global powers scheming against Olympus. This expanded focus misses earlier simplicity, feeling anti-climactic despite significance.

Technology shines throughout Appleseed. Deunan notes science is "the new black magic." Olympus is self-sufficient, powered by clean energy, and consults a godlike computer. It boasts giant mobile gun platforms, hover cars, and landmates. Landmates, high-performance exoskeletons, fascinate Deunan. With her combat experience and this equipment, she’s quite formidable.

Extended fights are double-edged swords here. Some battles are impeccably choreographed, notably cutting away a landmate’s 'chest' to reveal the wearer's expression. Conversely, some battles are muddled and transitions confusing, making it hard to discern outcomes. At such times, rolling with the punches is best.

Stasis and renewal dominate themes. Olympus is peaceful but at what cost? Its populace enjoys happiness opportunities, yet overseers fear future stagnation. Systemic rigidity risks current genetic stock inadequacy. Perfection taken too far teeters on brink due to human imperfection. If good societies need good people, what should utopian societies do? Is using technology wrongly?

Gaia’s paralysis mirrors Prometheus’ punishment for stealing divine fire. Despite rough edges, Appleseed explores mankind’s attempt at borderless world creation, where nation-states seem outdated as feudalism. Is Olympus utopia or gods’ seat sipping ambrosia while the world obliviously dances? Leaders strive for sustained peace, suggesting neither. It’s an ideal bastion many wish to build. Perhaps that’s true idealism. Post-war nations aim to topple it for reclaimed power.

Evidently, a world without war doesn’t guarantee peace.

This has to be the most uninteresting manga I've ever come across. Despite its short length, it was so dull that I couldn't bring myself to finish it. My expectations were much higher, but what I found was deeply disappointing.

Never in my life did I think a manga could bore me this much. Even the action sequences left me yawning. It was nearly impossible to care about the events unfolding, and nothing seemed capable of grabbing my attention or making me want more. Adding insult to injury, there are numerous complex scientific and mechanical terms scattered throughout, accompanied by countless footnotes that contribute nothing and only served to further bore me.

The characters are uninspiring, and the storyline somehow manages to be even more tedious. Some characters have extensive backstories spanning hundreds of pages, yet they never receive a proper introduction, leaving me indifferent. The sole character who sparked any curiosity was Briareos, but he barely makes an appearance in the first twelve chapters. He's the only one who piqued my interest, and I wanted to know more about him—who he is and what exactly he is, since none of the other characters discuss it. However, I couldn’t muster the energy to continue reading, even if his backstory was explained in detail later on.

I honestly couldn't make sense of what was happening on most pages, no matter how hard I tried. There’s too much exposition with almost no development of the main characters, and the combat scenes felt pointless.

To sum up, I don't have much else to say besides the fact that this manga utterly failed to capture my interest and bored me to tears. Reading through 300 pages felt like enduring a thousand, and I didn't enjoy a single moment of it.

Having watched the lesser-known Ghost in the Shell movie adaptation numerous times, I wasn't quite ready to dive into the original manga just yet. Instead, I thought, why not explore Appleseed, Masamune Shirow's work that precedes Ghost in the Shell? Unfortunately, it turned out to be a chaotic mess. While the world is intriguing and the central conflict captivating, with classic 80s cyberpunk elements and Shirow's unique mech designs, the world-building is a disaster. Many concepts are introduced through awkward, piecemeal exposition by nameless or minor characters, leaving readers to guess what's happening or who belongs to which faction. Character motivations and backstories are equally obscure, making it hard to discern essential traits like Deunan's age and role during World War III. It's difficult to root for anyone when they're vague archetypes whose backgrounds might be explained later. By the time I reached the "Appleseed" chapter, supposedly explaining the manga's themes, it was so muddled with technobabble and unclear character motivations that I lost interest. Though Shirow's involvement in Stand Alone Complex was likely minimal, I felt similar vibes here. The clumsy expositions in Appleseed explain everything clumsily, implying that if you don’t understand, you’re just clueless. Stand Alone Complex had philosophical interludes and literary references as an excuse. What’s Appleseed's? It's a shame the cyborgs, mechs, and tech designs look cool because the art itself is inconsistent and messy, especially in action scenes. Shirow's "attention to detail" can overwhelm, making it hard to follow panels at times. This is particularly problematic in action sequences, which are exhausting to read. Despite the cool visuals, the shading issues and inconsistent action between panels make these scenes feel like deciphering ancient verses. Character designs often get lost in the chaos of action scenes, with minor details like antennae or eye counts adding to the confusion. I even mistook key characters for others! If the original Appleseed is this disorganized, it's no wonder Ghost in the Shell took over in popularity. I wish Appleseed's world had received a better manga treatment.

So, to be honest, I was expecting a lot from this one, but in the end, I got nothing. The story, as far as I read, was mediocre at best. Honestly, there wasn't a single thing about it that made me say, "Wow, that's interesting; I want to see how it goes."

The art was the only thing that was nice. I have to admit that the manga is beautifully drawn.

The characters were somewhat boring. I honestly didn't feel attracted to them at all. They had some funny or cute moments, but overall, they weren't very likeable.

When it comes to enjoyment, honestly, it's one of the few manga that made me feel so bored. Usually, I want to finish a short manga that I've started, but this one was a huge exception. I just couldn't do it.

Overall, I'll give it a 3/10.