Thursday, September 7, 2017

Review: NARUTO: Chibi Sasuke's Sharingan Legend Volume 1

NARUTO: CHIBI SASUKE'S SHARINGAN LEGEND, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: Kenji Taira
TRANSLATION: Amanda Haley
LETTERS: Thea Willis, Snir Aharon
EDITOR: Alexis Kirsch
ISBN: 978-1-4215-9710-2; paperback (September 2017); Rated “T” for “Teen”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Once there was a young shinobi (ninja) named Uzumaki Naruto, and he had an incorrigible knack for mischief.  He had a teammate, Uchiha Sasuke, a brooding loner who eventually left the Ninja Academy in the shinobi Village of Konohagakure.  Sasuke set off to find and kill his brother, Uchiha Itachi, who had slaughtered the Uchiha clan.  This is the story of Sasuke's mission of revenge... but now, with a humorous chibi twist.

As Naruto: Chibi Sasuke's Sharingan Legend, Vol. 1 (Chapters 1 to 5; entitled Uchiha Sasuke) opens, Sasuke leaves Konohagakure to find and kill his brother, Itachi.  He gathers three shinobi:  Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo, and the four of them become “Team Taka.”  They travel the land, looking for a brother to kill, and they also have wacky adventures.

[This volume includes five “mini manga chapter” bonus short stories – Mini Manga 1: “Sasuke vs. the Vending Machine!!” 2: “Sasuke vs. the Massage Chair!!” 3:  “Let's Go to the Naruto Art Exhibit” 4: “Let's Go to the Naruto Art Exhibit” Part 2; 5: “Jump Festa 2015 Rules and Guidelines.”]

Wow.  The Naruto: Chibi Sasuke's Sharingan Legend manga.  Wow.  In the “real” Naruto manga, Sasuke's actions were involved in his brother's death, but after Itachi told his younger sibling the reason why he slaughtered the Uchiha clan.  That led Sasuke to take up with some pretty despicable and evil characters and then, lead a deadly invasion of Konohagakure.

Well, Naruto: Chibi Sasuke's Sharingan Legend Volume 1 offers a massively altered version of Sasuke's dark quest.  It's all sh*ts and giggles.  I don't know how to feel about this.  It's cute.  I like Naruto.  Although Naruto creator, Masashi Kishimoto, is not the writer or artist here, this manga is expertly produced by Kenji Taira (Kishimoto's assistant) ... in a chibi mangaka sort of way.  I guess every Naruto fan should try it, if for no other reason than to be shocked, amused, or bemused.

B
6 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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