Maoh Juvenile Remix is one of VIZ's latest manga releases and comes from their Shonen Sunday lineup. The book was originally a novel written by Kotaro Isaka, but it was later turned into this manga in 2007 by Megumi Osuga. In all honesty I didn't know what to expect when I cracked the manga open, but I was blown away by this first installment.
Set in the fictional city of Nekota, Maoh follows an 11th grader named Ando, who is something of an introvert. Sure he has friends and he's liked well enough in the school he currently attends, but he goes to great lengths to ensure that he stays out of trouble and doesn’t call attention to himself. He basically sticks his head in the sand and doesn't react to anything. This all stems from an event in his early childhood when he believed he could actually make other people say what he wanted them to say. He told his school chums and they ostracized him for it. Ever since then he pretty much keeps quiet and to himself.
One day while walking with a friend he's struck by a baseball flung his way by a bunch of punks. Rather than do anything about it, he just takes his lumps, and mentions something about calling the police afterwards. Just then an enigmatic figure steps forward to confront the gang.
In Nekota, one of the most unique and prolific characters you'll come across is Inukai, who is a student with a sense of justice, or so he seems. Inukai has a strange air about him and he runs an organization known as Grasshopper. They are notorious for snuffing out crime and bringing criminals to justice, but it's not necessarily jail they go to. The wrongdoers either disappear from town, or wind up joining the group with a fervent admiration of Inukai. It's strange to be sure, and after another incident Ando decides to steer as clear from Grasshopper as possible.
Article comments