I stand by the statement that, "Shaman King is an example of a perfect manga."
My top three favorite manga (not in any particular order) are: Steel Ball Run, Naruto, and Shaman KIng.
Shaman King is an example of a perfect manga - because, it ended. Do you undERstand that - One Piece creator, Eiichiro Oda?
I'll go through evERy aspect of Shaman King that makes it an example of a perfect manga.
The title of the series
Shaman King - I remember being a boy, and reading Chapter 1 of Shaman King, thinking to myself, "What the hell is a shaman?" The first time I had seen the word, "shaman," was back in the year 2002 when I read the manga in weekly Shonen Jump.
I did better in history and English class, because I already knew what a shaman was, and I also knew a great deal about Native American and Asian tribes - thanks to reading Shaman King.
The plot
Any great manga should be able to be summed up in one sentence, for Shaman King, that is incredibly easy to do: A boy who has the ability to manipulate spirits named Yoh, goes on a quest to become the Shaman King by winning the Shaman Tournament that only comes along every 500 years.
The main character
Yoh is introduced as a slacker, if he were older - he might have been mistaken for a person high on drugs, because he is so calm and relaxed, especially when compared to most Japanese youth.
The first thing he does in the manga - is find a spirit ally, whom he will fight in the Shaman Tournament with. This is a huge decision, once an ally is picked, the pair must stay together, because the pair need to train for the Shaman Tournament together - if they do not, they will perish into oblivion together.
Yoh is not a very judgemental person, not all shaman are as friendly as he is, yet Yoh is able to connect with both spirits and the living (like the supporting characters). Yoh chooses an infamous samurai as his spirit ally.
Instead of focusing on his spirit ally's most violent qualities, Yoh brings out the good qualities of his samurai spirit ally, such as: loyalty, bravery, and diligence.
The supporting characters
Yoh is a young boy at the start of the series, and he embarks on a dangerous journey - as he moves through the series, he gains many different companions. Without spoiling anything - it is obvious that all of Yoh's companions either like or hate Yoh's personality, yet everyone notices his talent and strength.
Horohoro, is one of the most refreshing characters I have seen in manga, he is a snowboarder from Northern Japan, who uses his shaman ability to create snow and ice to aid him in battle - he wants to win the Shaman Tournament in order to save the natural landscape of his tribe's homeland. His spirit ally is, Kororo, a spirit that mirrors Horohoro's love of nature - and together, the pair dominate in the Shaman Tournament.
The Patch
The Patch, are a Native American tribe whose tribal members officiate the Shaman Tournament. Everything about The Patch Tribe is interesting. Their rich history in officiating the Shaman Tournament, their clothing, their more evil members, their secrets. The Patch Tribe are a very good fit for the story and smoothly fit in to the lore of Shaman King.
Chocolove McDonnell
Chocolove McDonnell is the most annoying character in the series, in my opinion - but, that is what he is supposed to do, remind the audience of their worst traits. Chocolove is introduced as - a coper, someone using comedy to hide his pain. He has a scar on his forehead, a sign to everyone that he has been hurt. Chocolove's spirit ally is a jaguar - he never fit in with humanity, so Chocolove paired with a wild animal like a jaguar for the Shaman Tournament.
I don't want to spoil anything, but in the series, Chocolove never stops paying for the mistakes he made in his past, although that is not a bad thing, since in the end it gives him power.
The villain
Americans who grew up watching the Shaman KIng cartoon, know him as, "Zeke" - to the rest of the world, and to readers of the manga, he is known as, "Hao."
Everyone is familiar with the "Fight Club" villain, meaning the hero's opposite, the hero's bad personality traits manifested into another person. Hao is "Fight Club," Hao - is the world.
I remember growing up, reading Shaman King, and watching the cartoon show - wishing that I could burn my enemies alive, like Lord Hao.
@AsakangaHalo
My top three favorite manga (not in any particular order) are: Steel Ball Run, Naruto, and Shaman KIng.
Shaman King is an example of a perfect manga - because, it ended. Do you undERstand that - One Piece creator, Eiichiro Oda?
I'll go through evERy aspect of Shaman King that makes it an example of a perfect manga.
The title of the series
Shaman King - I remember being a boy, and reading Chapter 1 of Shaman King, thinking to myself, "What the hell is a shaman?" The first time I had seen the word, "shaman," was back in the year 2002 when I read the manga in weekly Shonen Jump.
I did better in history and English class, because I already knew what a shaman was, and I also knew a great deal about Native American and Asian tribes - thanks to reading Shaman King.
The plot
Any great manga should be able to be summed up in one sentence, for Shaman King, that is incredibly easy to do: A boy who has the ability to manipulate spirits named Yoh, goes on a quest to become the Shaman King by winning the Shaman Tournament that only comes along every 500 years.
The main character
Yoh is introduced as a slacker, if he were older - he might have been mistaken for a person high on drugs, because he is so calm and relaxed, especially when compared to most Japanese youth.
The first thing he does in the manga - is find a spirit ally, whom he will fight in the Shaman Tournament with. This is a huge decision, once an ally is picked, the pair must stay together, because the pair need to train for the Shaman Tournament together - if they do not, they will perish into oblivion together.
Yoh is not a very judgemental person, not all shaman are as friendly as he is, yet Yoh is able to connect with both spirits and the living (like the supporting characters). Yoh chooses an infamous samurai as his spirit ally.
Instead of focusing on his spirit ally's most violent qualities, Yoh brings out the good qualities of his samurai spirit ally, such as: loyalty, bravery, and diligence.
The supporting characters
Yoh is a young boy at the start of the series, and he embarks on a dangerous journey - as he moves through the series, he gains many different companions. Without spoiling anything - it is obvious that all of Yoh's companions either like or hate Yoh's personality, yet everyone notices his talent and strength.
Horohoro, is one of the most refreshing characters I have seen in manga, he is a snowboarder from Northern Japan, who uses his shaman ability to create snow and ice to aid him in battle - he wants to win the Shaman Tournament in order to save the natural landscape of his tribe's homeland. His spirit ally is, Kororo, a spirit that mirrors Horohoro's love of nature - and together, the pair dominate in the Shaman Tournament.
The Patch
The Patch, are a Native American tribe whose tribal members officiate the Shaman Tournament. Everything about The Patch Tribe is interesting. Their rich history in officiating the Shaman Tournament, their clothing, their more evil members, their secrets. The Patch Tribe are a very good fit for the story and smoothly fit in to the lore of Shaman King.
Chocolove McDonnell
Chocolove McDonnell is the most annoying character in the series, in my opinion - but, that is what he is supposed to do, remind the audience of their worst traits. Chocolove is introduced as - a coper, someone using comedy to hide his pain. He has a scar on his forehead, a sign to everyone that he has been hurt. Chocolove's spirit ally is a jaguar - he never fit in with humanity, so Chocolove paired with a wild animal like a jaguar for the Shaman Tournament.
I don't want to spoil anything, but in the series, Chocolove never stops paying for the mistakes he made in his past, although that is not a bad thing, since in the end it gives him power.
The villain
Americans who grew up watching the Shaman KIng cartoon, know him as, "Zeke" - to the rest of the world, and to readers of the manga, he is known as, "Hao."
Everyone is familiar with the "Fight Club" villain, meaning the hero's opposite, the hero's bad personality traits manifested into another person. Hao is "Fight Club," Hao - is the world.
I remember growing up, reading Shaman King, and watching the cartoon show - wishing that I could burn my enemies alive, like Lord Hao.
@AsakangaHalo
