Seinen 20th Century Boys by Urasawa Naoki

[The Fool]

Re: 21st Century Boys

There is no evidence for something like that, The mannequin.

Namio Haru saw his face, and said this: "When you live for fifty years, all of your life experiences are chiseled out on your face... However... "Friend's" face shows none of that." So he said that Friend's face had no wrinkles, just like a face with plastic surgery, just like a child's face, just like a "new" face. This is an evidence.

Katsumata is a seperate human being. This is proven in Kiriko's memory and was found out by Detective Cho.

I know that Katsumata exists, but only in the seventies. And outside the virtual reality [that's not reliable 'cause is full of absurdities] we can see Katsumata very very few times.

Furthermore the comparison you made in those 2 pictures were false. One is written with the kanji for Friend and the other is written with Hiragana which is really childlike.(the way it's used most of the time). It's a significant difference.

Naaah, the two sentences are identical. The word "friend" is written with hiragana only when is used as name: "Tomodachi".

---

This is the site from which I took the translation: http://www.mangascreener.com/stephen/20cb/20cb.html

 

[dabura]

Re: 21st Century Boys

wwwwwwwwwwwwooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwww,

its here!!! check this shit out man;

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FOcVeVBTh1E&feature=related

They look so like in the manga, look at those familiar scenes OMG amazing O_O
Manjoume even matches, the kids look like in the manga, friend's 1st mask also present at the end.


20th Century Boys Chapter I 3.56 minute trailer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Fool]

Re: 21st Century Boys

Awesome.

 

[Pirulito]

Re: 21st Century Boys

I'm really excited for it.

 

[freegood]

Re: 21st Century Boys

Wow...if I never read the manga, I'd probably figure out the plot from the trailer.

Did it say that this is a trilogy?

 

[weixiaobao]

Re: 21st Century Boys

well after rereading/finishing the series recently, there still some plots that i didn't understand... here are my guesses, if incorrect please correct me..

-Fukubei got no power just tricks... Kanna (his daughter has real power) because she a lab experiment when she still in her mother womb..

-in the science lab incident, Fukubei almost die but who rescue him...

-so the person got beat up for the stolen hero badge is the 2nd friend and not Sadakiyo, though they know each other... the person who communicate with aliens are the 2nd friend and the last ploy (going to mars, alien invasion) is his doing.. maybe 2nd friend and sadakiyo are brothers or something ...??

-why the hell did donkey thought kenji was the bad guy in the beginning eventhough the flashback showed that (during the science lab incident) that he knew the faces of evil (yaname, fukubei, etc)...
for what reason was donkey's death, because fukubei mess up the trick... ??

-Mon-chan and Konchi is not initially part of the group however they were present at the time capsule ..

-what is the important of kenji's rock music incident.. the person who jump off from the roof is sadakiyo or second friend..

-how did the pope found out that friend is evil..

-the child of the dream navigator is from fukubei or second friend.. (eventhough it after fukubei's death but they can still keep his sperm and stuff so i don't know)

-the robot scientist's daughter miscarriage child is from fukubei?

-the director guy from the airport where yukiji work was he one of the member of friend party at the 20th century hero thing... and the thing that Manjoume was carrying was rainbow thing from thailand..

-since when did Kiriko, Endo got tangle into the virus-vaccine mess... during her medical school years?
Kiriko knew yaname and sadakiyo but not fukubei... but how did they predict that she was the holy maiden..

-why did fukubei return to the school to be accidentally killed? he didn't think yaname gonna betray him? is his death and 2nd friend also his idea..

-the "deal with expectation" comedians are part of friend group.. but i didn't recall their fate at the end..

-all of the gangsters and kenji group present at the expo why didn't they received the vaccine.. *though i already knew the answer to this question* but fukubei at least does want his daughter to be alive..

 

[dabura]

Re: 21st Century Boys

Wow a french trailer has some extended scenes, Masao screaming at kenji
plus..... friend speaks!!!!; KENJI KUN - LET'S PLAY!!!!

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevanc...0thcenturyboys-le-film-live-traile_shortfilms

 

[baboysai]

Re: 21st Century Boys

there is a 20th century boys movie thread. Please post discussions of that here:
http://mangahelpers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25239

 

[chusetto]

Re: 21st Century Boys

For me.... great final for the greatest seinen ever (Except Monster)... Bravo!

 

[Muddy]

Re: 21st Century Boys

Spoiler

After having been done with 20th CB proper for over a year, I finally read 21st Century Boys as well (don't ask why I took so long a break... I don't even know).

First off, I'm surprised that among those who realized earlier that Katsumata was an option for Friend, questions still remained. I'd subscribed to the Friend 2 = Katsumata theory since someone suggested it to me back around the time of vol. 17's release, and everything since then fit perfectly with that in mind.

I was disappointed by some aspects of 21st: yet another robot scare world end moment (the fourth!), plus that really sketchy communicating-straight-to-Kanna's heart stuff. I know 20CB has been pretty out there at times but, like Monster, it never *actually* got supernatural per se, and this seemed to be precisely that; essentially a cheap way to get the last plot developments moving quicker. I was also put off somewhat by the seemingly pointless chase-for-the-remote stuff in the virtual world too, though I think that's explainable by Katsumata's whole "asobimashoooo" thing. The only time he actually ends up playing with Kenji as promised, really.

But I liked the ending. Especially that of 20th, but the stuff in 21st was for the most part pretty great too. My mind draws blank on a lot of things and assumes right now that there are gaps, but I've only read the series once, and started some three or even four years ago, so of course earlier revelations are missing in my head... I'll need to reread it all straight through, and then judge.

However, I definitely don't agree with those who write off the whole third arc. It had many spectacular moments, and a stunning climax after a slowly unwinding setup, just like the first two; of course, it didn't have the "this is all completely new to me" effect of the first, or the "whoa this is exciting who's alive and what do they look like" effect of the second. But it had its own feel. I loved Kenji's character, too: what an awesome guy he turned out to be, true to his roots, but also clearly changed. And thematically / character-developmentally 21CB delivered in spades as well (Kenjiwise anyway).

In short - this is my favorite manga series alongside Monster, and I can't wait to reread it completely and try to piece everything together on my own. A complete timeline of events and revelations would be an incredible thing to create, but is probably far too immense an amount of work for any one man. And it doesn't look like there are enough other 20CB fans around to collaborate with - we're a quiet bunch, apparently (or a whole lot of us thought the manga jumped the shark with the third arc, ala Stephen; though granted, this always seemed to be a small fandom in the english-speaking world).

All that said, I have two rather important questions, which most likely derive from my not remembering much of the series, but which are pertinent all the same. What exactly do you think were Katsumata's, and especially Fukubei's (as this'd be the one I'd forgotten if it has in fact been elaborated on), reasons for becoming "Friend" and doing what they did? I'm sure both were expounded on in really subtle ways that are just slipping my mind completely... how exactly did their identity issues influence them so deeply?

 

[Endo Kenji]

Re: 21st Century Boys

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=AkbnMMy9vBw A One-Hour Interview with the actors. It contains ALOT of never to be seen footage. A absolutely must SEE!~XD btw Kenji actor can't play guitar. Eventhough I can't understand what they say sometimes it's rather funny.

The other parts can be found in "more from this member".

Lotsafun.

 

[baboysai]

Re: 21st Century Boys

yeah thanks. If you guys don't know, there is a thread for the movie discussion. ^^

 

[abo-forever]

Re: 21st Century Boys

can someone please post up a new link for the raw version vol. 2 of 21st century boy? the old ones are dead...

and i'm desperate to read the ending!!!

oh and does someone have the RAW for vol.1 of 20th century boy? i need that to complete the collection!!!

thanks very much!!!

 

[eni]

Re: [FEATURED SERIES] 20th Century Boys by Urasawa Naoki (v22)

Old thread, old series. But the first of three amazing movies just hit the theaters in Japan.
=> 20th Century Boys - Movie Discussion

Thread stickied for a week to raise some attention to this great series. Check it out and start a discussion here!

 

[XaeroX19]

Re: 21st Century Boys by Urasawa Naoki (v02, Sequel to 20th Century Boys)

anybody knows something about this?
link
then i found another link with the text in english
Image link
is a 20thcb guide book ..O.O.......... i want that....

[Luckas]Edited the links tags.[/Luckas]

 

[mahawirasd]

Re: 21st Century Boys

well after rereading/finishing the series recently, there still some plots that i didn't understand... here are my guesses, if incorrect please correct me..

-Fukubei got no power just tricks... Kanna (his daughter) has real power) because she was a lab experiment when she still in her mother womb..

-in the science lab incident, Fukubei almost die but who rescue him...

-so the person got beat up for the stolen hero badge is the 2nd friend and not Sadakiyo, though they know each other... the person who communicate with aliens are the 2nd friend and the last ploy (going to mars, alien invasion) is his doing.. maybe 2nd friend and sadakiyo are brothers or something ...??

-why the hell did donkey thought kenji was the bad guy in the beginning eventhough the flashback showed that (during the science lab incident) that he knew the faces of evil (yaname, fukubei, etc)...
for what reason was donkey's death, because fukubei mess up the trick... ??

-Mon-chan and Konchi is not initially part of the group however they were present at the time capsule ..

-what is the important of kenji's rock music incident.. the person who jump off from the roof is sadakiyo or second friend..

-how did the pope found out that friend is evil..

-the child of the dream navigator is from fukubei or second friend.. (eventhough it after fukubei's death but they can still keep his sperm and stuff so i don't know)

-the robot scientist's daughter miscarriage child is from fukubei?

-the director guy from the airport where yukiji work was he one of the member of friend party at the 20th century hero thing... and the thing that Manjoume was carrying was rainbow thing from thailand..

-since when did Kiriko, Endo got tangle into the virus-vaccine mess... during her medical school years?
Kiriko knew yaname and sadakiyo but not fukubei... but how did they predict that she was the holy maiden..

-why did fukubei return to the school to be accidentally killed? he didn't think yaname gonna betray him? is his death and 2nd friend also his idea..

-the "deal with expectation" comedians are part of friend group.. but i didn't recall their fate at the end..

-all of the gangsters and kenji group present at the expo why didn't they received the vaccine.. *though i already knew the answer to this question* but fukubei at least does want his daughter to be alive..

i'm no expert, but if i may share my 2 cents:
1. i would agree with that notion. Fukubei almost killed himself in the lab incident -> trick with using a metal tube or wire hanger or something, but then he said "it slipped" and started choking...
yes Kanna was probably induced with drugs or something, i'm quite sure it was mentioned in the dialogues...

2. the 2 other boys there (yamane and a masked boy) probably helped him down. In the virtual attraction it seems that the "original" cum 2nd friend loathed Fukubei to some extent -> wanted to kill little Fukubei by pulling him down and saying something like "you're supposed to (or really did) die today"...

3. no they can't be brothers because sadakiyo moved away and he stayed.
Makes me wonder about the time frame though... is the lab incident before or after sadakiyo moved away? because when i was reading 20th CB, it seemed to me that the incident is AFTER sadakiyo moved away, thus i was always questioning who that boy in the mask was...

4. donkey probably knew that kenji stole the badge thingie since the beginning although it was only mentioned clearly in 21st CB...
i think they wanted to "banish" donkey since childhood because Fukubei can't accept the fact that donkey said that the hanging "was just a trick"...

5. i think subsequent plots and dialogues explained how they became part of the gang... but yeah you can say the writer has a knack for adding characters along the way...

6. 2nd friend... perhaps the lyrics prevented the boy from jumping...
i think it was explained in the VR game in the 21st CB...

7. god knows... divine insight? xP

8. probably Fukubei's sperm, but most likely it was pointing towards tube babies, cloning, etc...

9. perhaps, or that young assassin who pushed that guy on the train station... or perhaps miscarriages from whoring around?

10. probably was... why would anyone carry a bag of flour?!?!?
srsly...


11. Fukubei liked kiriko since childhood -> was obvious when he talked with yukiji about the fish tank...
Sadakiyo knew that kiriko liked to study germs.
Yamane was a science guy.
Fukubei liked the idea of germ warfare...
there ya go...

the virus was probably ebola (srly! blood spewing and water vector!!), and yamane and fukubei probably convinced kiriko that she will be able to help people if she help develop a vaccine for it and keep researching every possible mutation and keep making vaccines for the mutations...


12. Fukubei wanted to kill Yamane, but i guess he wasn't prepared for the chance that Yamane would shoot him...
it could also be 2nd friend's idea -> telling Yamane to bring a gun or sumtin...

13. yeah i think their last appearance was on that TV show before 2015... never knew what happened... things like these are easily written off with "got killed by the virus" xP

14. yeah, it's an easy hole to patch up by saying "the gangsters and otcho were not registered participants" etc and that they only cared about Kanna...


i think that this manga was a bit overstretched at some points, but the ending was magnificent!

and if it ended at "present day" it would not have that lingering sensation of it being 1970-VR... and the fact that 2nd friend's face was never shown just keeps us hooked...

and yeah i do believe that the "original" friend became the 2nd-friend because Fukubei was always the ambitious and goal-oriented one while the one who probably had foresight/ESP was katsumata...
and he probably also added the last pages of the new book of prophecy while fukubei only cared about the front parts and becoming world president stuff... So when it dragged on too long, katsumata probably stepped in because he became impatient on carrying out his will...
Fukubei and Manjoume were always the one who was in it for power/celebrity... Sadakiyo was probably bullied into submission and Yamane only cared about science... While katsumata was always there for revenge, thus the ending being kenji having to apologize was really the best closure...

but yeah you can't stop thinking "shit man, all this just because of that stupid badge?"
lol xP


-w-

 

[Light_Yagami]

Re: 21st Century Boys by Urasawa Naoki (v02, Sequel to 20th Century Boys)

i didn't understand but who was katsumata?he didn't show his real face did he?

 

[kaostheory]

Re: 21st Century Boys by Urasawa Naoki (v02, Sequel to 20th Century Boys)

yeah where was katsumata mentioned i don't remember him

 

[dabura]

Re: 21st Century Boys by Urasawa Naoki (v02, Sequel to 20th Century Boys)

he was mentioned in volume 1, at donkey's death watch. They talk about that he did jump before, after seeing the ghost of katsumata-kun.

btw, has anyone seen the english volume covers from viz. They look great. Better than the glenat version. Its too bad that it hasn't gotten the color changing original logo though.

 

[mockme]

Re: 20th Century Boys by Urasawa Naoki (v22)

Seriously, no talk of this series going on here? I read it months ago, just started re-reading, and it still amazes me with its story-telling, characters and the suspense created. This just goes on to show that you don't need overpowered characters kicking each other's asses in order to create excitement.

Naoki Urasawa is the best manga author out there in my opinion. After reading 20th Century Boys+21st Century Boys along with Monster, I'm craving for more of this author's works, and DeathNote was surpassed by two mangas on my all-time favourite manga list. But DeathNote's still awesome too.

Seriously, if you ever find yourself in a need for a manga to read, or even if you don't need a new manga, just read this. I've never read anything that could even compare to 20th Century Boys.