Tag Archives: kiminori wakasugi

Detroit Metal City

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Detroit Metal City

A manga about a wannabe pop singer who moonlights as the lead singer for the death metal band Detroit Metal City!

We’ve discussed this series on an older episode.

A solid comedy series. While extremely crude and vulgar, the over-the-top antics found within the book still crack me up. Kiminori Wakasugi utilizes a wonderful Jekyll and Hyde relationship for main character Negishi and his demonic alter ego Johannes Krauser II. Negishi is constantly failing at being a sensitive pop star and all his frustrations get worked out as Krauser II. It’s hilarious to watch as everything usually falls apart and I can’t help but feel Wakasugi captured lighting in a bottle with this debut series. There was a great anime adaptation and even a live-action movie featuring Gene Simmons!

Available in English from VIZ.

~dakazu

Rhyming Man

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Rhyming Man

A manga about a boy who’s pushed by his former hip-hop star father to become a rapper.

It’s nice to see Kiminori Wakasugi return a bit to his Detroit Metal City roots with this one. It was pretty enjoyable but I think it ultimately fails because it tried to be more of a straight drama and Wakasugi is much better with comedy. The story of Rhyming Man and his eventual acceptance of becoming the rapper he was groomed up to be is something pretty unoriginal. The real star of this manga is his wannabe father, Shaka King. Shaka King is a great and hilarious character that clings to his former glory, raps while excelling in his real talent of cooking, and talks a big game but always cowards out. This series might have lasted longer if it all about the father instead of the son.

~dakazu