Appleseed Alpha

The original Appleseed manga was really good. The artwork was great. The story was very good. The anime hasn't been nearly as good and I've only seen the 2004 movie. I was expecting more here in the caliber of the manga, but I guess it's not by the same people. I Know there also is an Appleseed Alpha move. I wonder if this is the Japanese equivalent of a book based on a movie. It feels more like an ok ova of a manga than a good manga in itself.My first disappointment is the artwork. The brush strokes are very thick and it makes it look rushed. It almost feels more like storyboards than final artwork. Well, it's better than that, but I much prefer the style of artwork in the previous manga.My second disappointment is the story. It feels like a two part episode in a serialized anime. I like many serialized anime shows, but I would like them much less if there were only two episodes. The story is complete, but it feels like a side-story. Also, there is much less depth than the previous Appleseed mangas. Lastly, the story doesn't really take you anywhere or leave the characters any different. It's ok, but it's not great.So overall, I'm not sad I read. But I didn't like it enough to really suggest it. I think the Appleseed manga fan is better off reading only the other mangas. I also don't think there's enough interesting for a new fan. I'm not saying you'll be sad if you read this, but I think there are much better things to read.

First, it should be stated, this is a spin-off of the Appleseed Alpha movie which is non-canonical prequel to the original Appleseed. Fans may be disappointed as it falls short of the original manga. However, if you just want some new Appleseed content to read, this is alright if you can get past the different art style. The style looks almost childish which is a huge contrast to the setting and theme. Some of the panels get confusing due to heavy detailed shading on characters as well as all the background and objects. It is sometimes difficult to determine exactly what is going on. The story is decent so far but forgettable. One of the main things I wanted to see was more interaction between Deunan and Briareos since this is a prequel, but at least in this volume they are separated for a large portion of the story. Something this excels at, however is humor. I was surprised at the times I caught myself laughing(usually regarding the mayor).Newer readers should probably read the original manga if they want to get into the series, but if they just want something to read, this can work as a standalone.

As an Appleseed newbie, I did not know what I was in for, exactly, with Appleseed Alpha. I liked what I saw and read for the most part. Some of the panel work was confusing since I knew there was action going on, but it mostly looked like a bunch of lines and squiggles and other things. Basically, a few of the action sequences were just things on a page to me that I couldn't entirely parse. I tried, though. The base story was worthwhile, though. I found I had to try and adjust a fair bit on the go not having background in the story other than what was summarized on the back of the book. The dialogue was well done and some of the spreads were really fun and interesting. I really liked Deunan's depiction as a cowboy of the wild west. In the end, I like the story enough to want to know more and see what's come before, but this wasn't a total standout for me.

I should state right out that I am not familiar with the Appleseed series (except by reputation). This collected manga is a prequel of sorts to Appleseed. As such, it would appeal more to the Appleseed fans than the uninitiated. The storyline is engaging - human Deunan and her cyborg lover Briareros come to New York city. The cyborg mayor wants them to help in a conflict with aliens, whereas, Deunan wants to help the local humans. Like with many manga, the panels can become disjointed, making it hard to follow the story. Also, the artwork is often visually jarring. The beauty of manga or graphic novels is that the art often tells more of the story than the text. Here, the thick lines and overly complex images would just give me headaches.

I see mixed reactions to Iou Kuroda's "Appleseed Alpha". Yes, Kuroda is not Shirow Masamune, the original creator, and yes, the art style is different. It may be that I'm not as tied to either the anime or original manga that I could enjoy this on its own.It starts with a dramatic cyborg announcing that aliens (of the UFO kind) are infiltrating the city. It turns out that he is the mayor and he's very serious. Deunan, human and former SWAT, and Briareos, her companion and cyborg, need supplies, specifically batteries as Briareos is running low on energy. It is convenient that the mayor also needs Briareos to help combat the 'aliens'.The art style is a little different. It is sketchier and not as 'smooth'. Having read Shigeru Mizuki and Yoshihiro Tatsumi, this doesn't really bother me and once I was into the story, I didn't really notice. I do like that there is humor in the story. Masamune also has humor so I was glad to see that. There were so jarring transitions here and there so I had to read and then re-read to get the flow but again, that was fine. Overall, I enjoyed the read and Kuroda's take on it.

I tried, but I just couldn't get into this. I haven't touched Appleseed since the 90s, so I don't remember they storyline all that well or how this fits in. All I know for sure is that it doesn't stand on it's own very well. Iou Kuroda's art took awhile to get used to, but I ended up really liking it. The scratchiness is a nice contrast to Shirow's slickness. But the story was tough to make it through. I didn't connect with the characters, and I found myself forcing myself to get through the ending.

I tried multiple times to 'get into' this story and just couldn't. I just found it unmoving and not interesting.I thought the artwork was okay, but ultimately you need characters to care about and something to push/pull you through the story. The art wasn't enough.If you want to sample this series I suggest the library.

The drawings are like superbly childish... complete waste of my money.

I was expecting at least the quality of the original serie but what i got was not even from Masamune Shirow and look more like a sketchbook than a final product. This franchise deserved way better.

This is not a reflection of the product itself more a warning over the advertising THIS IS NOT A MASAMUNE SHIROW PRODUCT.