|| Tokyo Boogie-Woogie ||

2 volumes
Shoujo, futuristic
Publisher: Zero Comics
Mangaka: ISHIHARA Satoru

Other manga on this site by Satoru Ishihara: 38 Dousen, Afuresou na Pool, Charisma, Shounen wa Asu o Kurosu, Watashi no Kakurega e Douzo, Yarouze!

Plot:
Sometime in the near future, Tokyo is being ripped apart by a coup d'etat. The Chinese mafia, the American military, and the Japanese Special Forces are all trying to promote their own interests. Now several street kids have joined the fight in an effort to take back their nation by destroying the newest weapon, mutated radioactive flowers that release LSD. The trouble all began when a space shuttle caught fire during re-entry and crashed into a Chinese nuclear facility. For half a year after that, ash rained down on Tokyo, and now nothing blooms there.

The story alternates between this many-sided war, and Crow's past. Crow is the leader of the street kids. He was raised by a man named Shana, a man famous for his ability to agitate large crowds. Shana has been missing for many years, and was presumed dead.

Despite its dark themes, this has some very light-hearted moments. Lai Shan, The Chinese mafia leader's younger brother provides some great moments of comic relief in his obsession over fighting Crow. My favorite is when he becomes distraught because his tamogachi (which he named Crow) died, and he is absolutely convinced that the real Crow is dead as well (before he had a chance to fight him).

What I Thought:
Typical of Ishihara. Lots of male comraderie that really gets your hopes up and makes you suspicious, but nothing definite (discounting Lai Shan's obsession). I love her dirty, post-apocolyptic, tough freedom fighting boys. I never really did understand what the hell was going on with the plants though.