7 chapters in and i can barely hold my tears in. During these 15 minutes i think i laughed more than i did in my entire life. "shes a trap, shes a trap, shes a trap." cracked me up so damn hard i almost cried due to laughter
Baoh: The Visitor is a concise manga, spanning only 9 chapters, but it's quite enjoyable. Baoh features an art style very reminiscent of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood, which is understandable since Phantom Blood was created a few years after Baoh. In my opinion, Baoh is a story that works best in its brief format, and if it were to be continued, I doubt it would maintain the same quality. A new anime adaptation wouldn't be particularly great either, and while the OVA was decent, I don't believe it truly captured the essence of Baoh. Additionally, I thought Baoh's appearance in All Star Battle was fantastic, and I hope he makes a return in Eyes of Heaven.
Hirohiko Araki is undoubtedly best known for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, but after catching up with that series, I decided to explore one of his earlier creations—Baoh. This manga, in my opinion, suffers from being too brief. While the idea shows some potential, it never truly rises to greatness, remaining just "okay."
The narrative revolves around our protagonist, Ikuro, who is forcibly endowed with superpowers by a malevolent organization, enabling him to transform into Baoh. He escapes alongside a young girl, and subsequently, the organization relentlessly pursues them until Ikuro eventually confronts them at their headquarters. The concept isn't extraordinary, yet it isn't particularly poor either. The issue lies in the minimal exposition we receive regarding the world and characters.
Baoh's powers seemingly emerge out of nowhere, with little to no explanation. For the most part, they are self-explanatory, but the problem is we never truly grasp Baoh's full capabilities. It's challenging to feel suspense during a fight when we know the character might simply unveil some new power we've never seen before. Every battle feels like a deus ex machina due to this.
Moreover, the characters aren't well-developed. Who is Doress, and why did they create Baoh? To utilize him as a weapon, but for what purpose? The pacing is extremely紧凑, which ultimately proves detrimental as crucial elements like the characters' motivations are somewhat overlooked in favor of more combat sequences.
Regarding the fight scenes, they are, once again, unremarkable. Araki's art style is unmistakably unique, and we witness something akin to his other early works like Part 1 of JoJo or Mashounen BT. They are visually appealing, but concerning the content, they lack the ingenuity and creativity that his later series, JoJo, has become renowned for. Instead, these battles are typically rather straightforward, with Baoh employing a new power to triumph. While having the hero develop new powers can be engaging, there's little anticipation built up, and it becomes monotonous.
In conclusion, I can't genuinely give this a strong endorsement. If you're an Araki fan like myself, you might appreciate this work. Nevertheless, among Baoh, Mashounen BT, and JoJo, Baoh is undoubtedly the weakest of his creations.
Baoh introduces a fascinating concept, but regrettably, the story falls short of its full potential. It's disappointing to reflect that this work could have been exceptional, yet it took too long to develop and struggled to compete with the giants of Shonen Jump. Notably, Dragon Ball Z was released in the same year (1984) and achieved such overwhelming success that Shonen Jump has never matched its peak annual sales since the series concluded.
For fans eager to explore a precursor to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Baoh offers an engaging experience. It contains all the trademarks of a non-JoJo part: an intriguing premise, characters that feel unique and vibrant, and a fusion of the bizarre, the esoteric, and the skeptical. It also blends body horror and gore with absurdly exaggerated action and dialogue. The theme of "love for humanity," central to JoJo's, might have also played a pivotal role in Baoh.
However, Jump's decision to cancel the series before introducing the first major climax leaves a lasting impression. The ending doesn't just feel hurried; it is rushed. Just as you believe it's evolving into a significant series, it abruptly ends—leaving you thinking it had the potential to be more than what it became.
For those not particularly drawn to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Araki's works in general, I can't identify a strong reason to read this.
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The narrative revolves around our protagonist, Ikuro, who is forcibly endowed with superpowers by a malevolent organization, enabling him to transform into Baoh. He escapes alongside a young girl, and subsequently, the organization relentlessly pursues them until Ikuro eventually confronts them at their headquarters. The concept isn't extraordinary, yet it isn't particularly poor either. The issue lies in the minimal exposition we receive regarding the world and characters.
Baoh's powers seemingly emerge out of nowhere, with little to no explanation. For the most part, they are self-explanatory, but the problem is we never truly grasp Baoh's full capabilities. It's challenging to feel suspense during a fight when we know the character might simply unveil some new power we've never seen before. Every battle feels like a deus ex machina due to this.
Moreover, the characters aren't well-developed. Who is Doress, and why did they create Baoh? To utilize him as a weapon, but for what purpose? The pacing is extremely紧凑, which ultimately proves detrimental as crucial elements like the characters' motivations are somewhat overlooked in favor of more combat sequences.
Regarding the fight scenes, they are, once again, unremarkable. Araki's art style is unmistakably unique, and we witness something akin to his other early works like Part 1 of JoJo or Mashounen BT. They are visually appealing, but concerning the content, they lack the ingenuity and creativity that his later series, JoJo, has become renowned for. Instead, these battles are typically rather straightforward, with Baoh employing a new power to triumph. While having the hero develop new powers can be engaging, there's little anticipation built up, and it becomes monotonous.
In conclusion, I can't genuinely give this a strong endorsement. If you're an Araki fan like myself, you might appreciate this work. Nevertheless, among Baoh, Mashounen BT, and JoJo, Baoh is undoubtedly the weakest of his creations.
For fans eager to explore a precursor to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Baoh offers an engaging experience. It contains all the trademarks of a non-JoJo part: an intriguing premise, characters that feel unique and vibrant, and a fusion of the bizarre, the esoteric, and the skeptical. It also blends body horror and gore with absurdly exaggerated action and dialogue. The theme of "love for humanity," central to JoJo's, might have also played a pivotal role in Baoh.
However, Jump's decision to cancel the series before introducing the first major climax leaves a lasting impression. The ending doesn't just feel hurried; it is rushed. Just as you believe it's evolving into a significant series, it abruptly ends—leaving you thinking it had the potential to be more than what it became.
For those not particularly drawn to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Araki's works in general, I can't identify a strong reason to read this.
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