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20th Century Boys | Full Story, Analysis, and Review
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- A full spoiler look at 20th Century Boys.
Covering the full story, including the ending in 21st Century Boys. An Analysis around the characters (particularly trying to understand Friend) and the themes. And a Review of the strengths of the series overall, the things this series excels at and the parts that admittedly struggle on a reread. Also taking some time to look at how the magic works in the series and making comparisons to the live action movies, Monster, Pluto, and Billy Bat. Basically, 20th Century Boys Explained.
Now this part shouldn't show up in the little description box when you search so...
We're talking about Fukubei, we're talking about Katsumata, the resurrection, the anti-proton bomb, the alien invasion, the space justice badge, egghead, the science room, the lies of 1970 and 1971, the example project, the perfect edition, yeah just about everything.
Timestamps:
Part 1
Introduction: 0:00
Background: 8:52
Biases and Bases: 13:18
Part 2
Book of Prophecy: 19:10
New Book of Prophecy: 50:54
End of the World: 1:37:53
Part 3
21st Century Boys and The Ending: 2:12:21
Magic: 2:33:24
Friend: 2:43:11
"The Ending": 3:20:57
Part 4
Honest Thoughts: 3:26:58
Conclusion: 3:42:45
Other Channels to check out:
Masked Man - / @themaskedman
Mauler - / mauleryoutube
Salt Factory - / mauleryoutube
Joseph Anderson - / josephandersonchannel
Glidus - / glidus
Ross McIntyre - / rossmcintyre
Cheer, Cheer.
![Jordan Adetunji - KEHLANI REMIX (feat. Kehlani) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EeJ8n5PxFGE/mqdefault.jpg)
I just finished reading the perfect editions and wow the fan translation made a big error in the point made around 2:15:00. Kenji says "I'm not the kind of person you think I am". In Japanese, the subject of a sentence is often only implied through context, so it makes sense the fan translation messed up. Basically, the subject was accidentally misunderstood as Kanna ie. "(I am) not the person (you) think (I am)" got misconstrued as "(Kanna is) not the person (I) thought (you were)"
But damn it makes Kenji look like a dick, and unfortunately means your whole explanation of it applies to an erroneous translation and nothing more.
It's not your fault the translation was off, but dang, I would've liked to know what you thought of the official translation (this is why I choose to prioritize official translations as the canonical version, to avoid errors like this).
Thank you for the correction! That's just a straight up mistake on my part.
I think some of the original point still applies. Kanna has built up this idea of who Kenji is that isn't true, or at least is different to Kenji's own perspective on himself. Though rather than Kanna being at fault (fan-scans) it's more Kenji feeling guilty about what happened to Katsumata. I think that's important because it puts the focus back on Kenji and the soon to come reveal. Rather than, ya know, just making Kenji look like a dick.
@@SeaGee Exactly. It sort of hints at where his low self esteem and denial of being a hero comes from (which would be revealed as 21st Century Boys progressed).
Ultimately, I think Kenji's reluctance to sing the song and him saying he's not who Kanna thinks he is, is because he feels guilty for having run away (or had amnesia I guess) for a decade+, and doesn't deserve praise for just showing up again.
Overall it's clear that even though he wasn't as warped by the badge incident as Katsumata, it still weighed heavily on him for his whole life. The ending seems to make clear that ultimately it's best for everyone's sakes to try to atone for the sins of the past and go through life without regrets since they can fester into guilt or hatred.
Edit:
Anyways overall still a great analysis, and it was interesting to see pieces of the movie trilogy throughout. Now trying to decide if I'll watch Monster or read it, since that's next on my Urasawa list.
@@SeaGee helps when a creator like you creates such a good vudeo of such long...
Bro I just finished reading 20th century boys but didn't understand the ending I mean it is the best nd my 1st manga at some points I literally cried, got too many time goosebumps, becomes angry but didn't understand the ending at all.........I mean what happen to friend nd sadakiyo nd the main question who was that guy at the last cause it wasn't fubukei as he was already dead nd sadakiyo was holding him from behind so it isn't sadakiyo so who was it
Holy shit thats what it actually read lmaoo
Sadakiyo seeing his young himself picture and crying was easily my favorite moment, amazing how in a few chapters the Author put this new character and make it more human, more relatable than many other generic protagonists
True
I remember that was the first time I cried reading 20cb... I really felt it for Sadakiyo.
That shit made me so sad for no reason, almost cried 😭
Cap 118, me senti muito gay por chorar naquela vez.
I teared up. I loved that moment.
Sadakiyo seeing a picture of himself when he was small made me cry. Such a powerful scene.
I disagree that Fukubei not being completelty alone as a child makes his motivations less compelling. I think it makes him a lot MORE compelling because it makes him seem like even more of a childish psychopath (which he is). The idea that "Yeah, sure i have friends but they're not the RIGHT friends" is such a bizzarre, mad but also kinda funny motivation for him as a character IMO. For me, that just makes him a better villain, not just for the main characters but also for the secondary Friends (Sada and Katsumata)
Also, i pieced together that Fukubei was Friend as soon as i saw that picture in the Newspaper :D
I can see where you're coming from there. Playing into how much of a little psycho young Fukubei is. And I mean, yeah he totally is. For me, im not a fan. I really love the I Am Collins characterisation and think that his original gang of friends kind of shuts that down. But hey, this is one of those series that people can draw so many different things out of. Glad to hear some different takes on things like this!
@@SeaGee I loved the video!
Thanks! I really appreciate that
@@SeaGee what Fukubei wanted was recognition, not friendship. His groupies were only following him due to manipulation and trickery. And he was aware of it. It ties perfectly into his Collins quote
As for "hitting differently on each reread..." - I read this story every year, once a year. It always unfolds in unique ways each time.
That's awesome! I feel like 20CB would be a great choice to read annually. There's such a diverse cast all at different ages and stages to get invested into. I know for me on my first read, I was invested in Kanna. Whereas this time it was more caring for Kanna like all the older cast
@@SeaGee SIMP
@@SeaGee LOL Just kidding kinda :P ty for the video :3
Re-reading this right now, only read it once last year
Me too. This time is the confuse ab Neil Amstrong and Collins part. 🤔
Honestly this story is biblical. There’s so many parables that directly relate to the essence of what it truly means to be human; for better or for worse.
bible better
For example?
Like what?
@@finessetraphard8682 You don't say -_-
I liked the concept of Katsumata.
You could say he's a imitation of an imitation but him being the original Friend recontextualizes his existence. Friend can only exist if enough people are around. Friend likely molds himself to suit the perceptions of the people around him, going to drastic lengths to do so. Both Fukubei and Katsumata embody this.
However, Fukubei is actually a person. A person with low self worth but a person with identity, wants, dreams, aspirations. And he was extremely present in Katsumata's life. Fukubei molded Katsumata. Maybe on purpose, maybe unintentionally. By the time Fukubei is an adult he's world president. But Katsumata is more childish than Fukubei and has less of an identity, it's funny to note that he becomes more violent and forceful to getting Kenji's attention without Fukubei holding him back. The real Friend reverts to a more intense goal, becoming more reckless and suicidal even. Him talking about the world expo is just him carrying on Fukubei's identity.
From the moment on the stairs where Friend threatens Sadakiyo, I never thought he was a Friend suspect for the reader, but just a tragic Friend pawn and Friend's very own red herring (not Urasawa's). I loved that whole Sadakiyo part of the story. What a tragic character.
To me the reason Katsumata works even more than Fukubei is that his theme of being forgotten is even bigger than Fukubei's or Sadakiyo's. It seems like Urasawa telling us that this is what happens when you have no personal connection to the world. And I don't think Fukubei was ever his actual friend just someone who acknowledged him even as his bully, which is why I think his death was clearly planned maybe even foresaw by Katsumata. Katsumata held Fukubei's own ambitions so close to him because Katsumata was the one truly without identity, truly dead. I don't see Egghead being cheapened by being seen in the virtual world but rather I see it contextualizes those "flashbacks" as Katsumata wondering who he actually is but brushing it aside and still remembering himself as Fukubei the line "are you Katsumata-kun" makes a lot more sense if it's actually Katsumata denying his own identity to be instead that of Fukubei's as "Katsumata" clearly died. Kastumata even *saves* Fukubei in the science room after Fukubei was such a dick to him because he's the only one he's got. Ultimately though he isn't Fukubei and this clinging to his identity is a facade like him actually choosing to blow up the expo and the world when Fukubei wouldn't, because to him this wasn't about being recognized as being great or not a sham but rather it was all about taking the world down with him. When it comes to the central questions you laid down "who will I be" "who am I" and "who did I end up being" I think it really ties nice into Katsumata not even having an answer for any of these that don't just assume something Fukubei made him become, it is through Fukubei he died and lived. Fukubei would never tell the world that he did all of it and villify himself, however Katsumata doesn't care, he's self destructive and sees it as a game or movie to heighten the plot. I see Katsumata being held hostage by Kanna and speaking about the Expo as Fukubei trying to hold onto his "lines" trying to hold onto this identity as Friend and what he would say or do.
I agree, to add to your point:
- Egghead showing up in the VA to represent Katsumata didn't cheapen the symbolism, it aligned Katsumata's identity struggles with Fukubei's, although Katsumata's isolation was much worse because he was just following Fukubei because he reached out to him as his only 'Friend' (an example of the manipulation Fukubei used to amass a cult following, twisting someone despondent to his own whims). Katsumata's only connection and purpose in life was sadly following someone who didn't care for him at all
- The chain of imitation goes Kenji->Fukubei->Katsumata, i.e: Katsumata seeks Fukubei's approval to the same rabid intensity as Fukubei looks towards Kenji, which adds depth to why he follows him so devoutly, which then becomes him literally wanting to become him by assuming his Friend role, getting plastic surgery, absorbing his VA memories, and wondering 'What Would Fukubei Do?' He's a completely lost soul who latches onto an abusive relationship to overwrite his lack of self-identity. The whole 'You Are Dead' point is more about the YOU having ceased to exist, his sense of self gone and now belonging to Fukubei (as you said, tying perfectly into the Who Will I Be theme)
exactly my thoughts, makes katsumata seem like the most tragic character in the manga
i didnt understand pls explain more
Damn bruh you really did a whole 4 hour video going in depth on 20thCB, I never thought anyone would ever make a video like this especially since I think plot-wise 20thCB is probably the most ambitious manga I've read, but you actually did it you madlad, really enjoyed the video all throughout, props!
Cheers! I'd been looking for something like this for ages so figured I'd do it myself
I always thought the that Katsumata being the second Friend and him impersonating Fukubei was really cool, I just wish that there was a little bit more foreshadowing because I think it's possible that Urasawa had plans for Katsumata since the beginning, he's there, you just have to look really, really hard, and I think that makes it difficult to appreciate him as a villain since he's only directly mentioned two or three times and is only alluded to, I guess that's kind of the point since he's meant to be the guy everyone forgot, but shrug. I still think the ending where Kenji says "You're Katsumata-kun, right?" is really nice.
I also always get super sad when reading the chapters of Fukubei, Sadakiyo, Yamane, and Katsumata's childhood, goes to show how childhood trauma can mess someone up for life.
I think I'd agree with you there. The concept of Katsumata has a lot to it but certainly needed some more support and foreshadowing to make it work. I do wonder how much of that was intentional to backup him being a "forgotten" character and how much Urasawa would change if he could.
And yeah those childhood scenes with the kids hit hard. You just want to give them a big hug and let them know things will be okay. Definitely a highlight of this series
I think there is en element that Urasawa tries to empasize in this manga and that are the obiquity of memory and the rampant effect of rumors when we were a child in elementary school. Some flashbacks that are depicted in the manga are not acurate, since it was a childhood memeroy. For example, the one where Kanna told Sadakiyo that Kenji never considered him as Friend because Kenji remembers that one day Sadakiyo told him that bending the spoon was not done by tricks. Sadakiyo procede to cry while he himself can't remember saying it. Well that's because Sadakiyo never said it. It was Katsumata who told Kenji that. Kenji just happened to mistook him as Sadakiyo since both of them sometimes wears the same mask. One of the most proponent example of how memory can play us for a fool is when all of them uninamously accept Fukubei as one of their group just from a mere claim.
And then theres the devastating effect of rumor, especially among elementary school students. Katsumata was considered dead and even has his own ghost story. But he was never dead, in fact, in one of the flashbacks, Keroyon tell the kids that one of the students saw Katsumata in the science lab. Of course they would perceived him as ghost but that in itself is proof that Katsumata is in fact alive, he was there physically, but kids who were affected by the rumor actually think that he was dead.
I think these elements are what made this manga exceptional and Urasawa did a brilliant job at delivering it
It was always there, do you remember the part where Fukubei confronts the guy in the mask during the new year's eve, it was katsumata and they both fall down tumbling implying katsumata paranormal powers. Katsumata has always been around in the story but Urasawa chose to leave subtle hints.
@@Skylotgh I wish they did more with his supernatural powers.
I just finished the WHOLE entire manga and I WANNA CRY SO BAD. The ending is bittersweet, possibly the butterfly effect (correct me if I’m wrong) It’s so good. 100/10 of Naoki Urasawa made a spin off series and or maybe so manga panels where did they just enjoy and go through their daily lives normally, I’m buying that in a heartbeat
An idea for it : Maruo and Yoshitsune reunite with their kids, with Otcho stumbling upon his divorced wife. BC U CANT TELL ME THAT THEY DID COMPLETELY FORGOT THEIR FAMILY AND DIDNT THINK ABIUT THEM ONCE
do you know what a chapter is it when friend get shot and raise his hand?
There was a manga spin off that told the story of the two nangakas trying to come up with a good manga, only for their ideas getting shot down repeatedly by another character for various reasons (one of their idea for example was a plotless ecchi manga filled with so much fa service that it became boring and another manga, while much better than the previous one, was a blatant ripoff of Indiana Jones with a female character that served only as a source of fanservice since her clothes got always damaged) in the end they manage to make an epic fantasy story about good and evil whose plot (for what we see of it) it’s similar to the one of 20th Century Boys
@@emanuelepolloni4002 I want a spinoff manga about God (the homeless old man) and his bowling adventures
Your comment in regards to Katsumata and the theme of "Imitation of an Imitation" i find quite curious as frankly, in my eyes the series itself was already setting up the ideas on constant imitation and stagnation of nostalgia through the eyes of Kanna, arguably in a similar light as to how the first part puts childhood on a pedestal only for the rest of the series to challenge that claim.
Kanna is someone who idolized her uncle Kenji and the values that he represented, to the point where the idea of Kenji in her head as a hero began to both compell her to keep going in a time of need as well as push her to take the drastic decisions he would have disapproved of, as seen in the Friend era. Just as Kenji was deemed a terrorist after a similar 3-year-timeskip from 1997 to 2000, Kanna recreated his steps from 2015 to 2018 (or 0003 AF) in what she tought to be the only way to fight back against Friend. She tried to become his imitation.
Of particular note to me (and the main reason i brought up the point on the stagnation of nostalgia) is when we see Kanna's room and we see the entire place decorated in a 60s hippy style. Really think about the implication and the ammount of work it probably took for her to gather all that during the Friend Era, Kanna is a woman who deliberatly went out of her way to shape her living space out of an era that was lived by her elders more than by herself. Its the Woodstock concert at the expo, the choice of Bob Lennon as Kenji is trying to topple the robot (specially interesting as i personally interpreted the choice of Kenji not playing Bob Lennon after Friend's death as his own choice to stop living in the past as he has until now, to put a close on the book by not singing the song that was named after two other guys, but instead playing his heart out with his friends), it creates quite the uncanny image on how, just like her biological father, Kanna is someone with incredible difficulty on moving on from the past that runs behind her and tries her best to mimmick something that even those people were mimmicking in the form of childhood play.
In other words, an imitation of an imitation.
I like the entire part of Kanna imitating Kenji and her misunderstanding of him. One of my favorite character moments.
This is a great parallel between father and daughter. Thank you
man, this video is a gem. It shows the amount of effort, dedication, research, reading and reflection that you invested in it. Honestly, I'm disappointed in the low compensation of views, but I'm sure that if you maintain the excellent quality that you demonstrate in your videos, you will grow a lot.
3:02:10 I think this writing is on purpose as an emotional red herring. The "I am Collins" speech led us to believe that Friend relates to Collins because they're both an lone outcast. BUT, as we goes on, we realize that Friend merely relates to Collins because Collins never got the fame and recognition for walking in the moon, similar to child Friend's failed attempts for recognitions. This further shows his psychopathic need for attention, but not caring about building actual relationships.
Man if only we had more discussions about this manga. Thank you for pinpointing the problems with the manga and the story. I love this so much!
Thanks for this. I legit think you are the best on RUclips when it comes to manga. So many folks think analysis is just explain the plot and I'm glad that's not what this was. You opened my eyes to a lot of things I hadn't realized. Can't wait to reread 20cb with this new perspective.
Cheers! That's really kind! And glad I could bring something new to the series for you
why aren't you famous? your analysis on 20th century boys is just as good if not better then any other popular analysis yutubers your pure motivation to make this video is clear I hope your channel can grow because your videos are actually really good and educational
Thank you so much, that's really encouraging to hear. I'm hoping to do some more long takes like this on other series through the year so im really glad you've enjoyed this one!
thanks for making this video! i’ve been looking for a good recap and review video but it seems like hardly any go into detail like this. means a lot 🙏🏽
The best review and analysis of 20th CB that exists to this day. Really glad you went deep into the reasons why you think certain parts work, and why others don't. It's also very refreshing to hear someone bring up the flaws in this series, as there seems to be far too many regurgitated buzzwords like "masterpiece" being thrown around without actually expounding further. Would really love to see your planned video further discussing the changes to the ending made in the perfect editions.
Man, I loved this video, and I hope you keep making more like this. I watched the whole thing because I read this series such a long time ago, and this video was incredible! Great job brother!
Love your analysis of the series and also appreciate how in-depth you go into things that might not be apparent to non-Japanese speakers/readers. I wanted to say that Kenji saying "You didn't turn out the way I hoped you would" to Kanna is actually a compliment. "I hoped you would become a coward and run to save your own life, but instead you became a selfless hero. Damn it!" Also, the main theme behind 20CB is more than "going back to those childhood days when we had dreams" and is actually more about "going back to those childhood days when we wondered about all of our thoughts and ideas becoming true." It's about a time when the unreal nature of all the things happening in the world(Atomic bombs, global wars, putting human beings on the moon, the world figuratively shrinking due to technology) made them seem even more special. This may hit different for Japan, a country that suffered from the atomic bomb but also a country that has always had a strange relationship with the occult and shamonistic spritiualism/superstition due to the fear of earthquakes and being an island nation at the mercy of the sea. The power of suggestion is pretty crazy in Japan which gives cults a strange sort of power. Not only was there the crazy cult attack in the 90s but also recently the former prime minister was assassinated due to a cult issue as well. So, if seemingly good things can come true.. what if the bad things could too?
A few thoughts... forgive the shorthand. It's kind of interesting to consider Fukubei so driven, so intense, that when he passes (in the alt ending) his drive and personality is adopted by his weak, abused confederate, Katsumata. Why? Because Stockholm syndrome is a real thing - the abuse and "death" forced on Katsumata by Fukubei might, somehow, make Fukubei nearly godlike in Katsumata's eyes. Is it a satisfying line to draw? I don't know. But the pieces do fit together.
Good work, I’m with you on most points. IMO Katsumata is meant to be underwhelming as commentary on faceless tragic figures with a vendetta, with hardly any meaningful motives. To me, it was Urasawa saying behind charismatic masterminds are incredibly stupid and insignificant people pulling the strings to keep manipulating the masses. Friend developed into a plot device than an antagonist.
I invest half a day to reread the series every 3-4 years, it’s amazing it hits different each time, speaks volumes to the writing. Yeah not everything fit together like Friend’s initial rise to power, but they get passes from me considering supernatural elements like God and Kanna’s abilities. It’s great time to revisit the series given what’s apparently going around for last 2 years.
This review has too many INSIGNIFICANT nitpicks.
Like
Why we dont know how Johan escaped hospital? It was never shown or hinted.
Where the poisoned candies come from? And how Johan knew two surgeons would try to eat them? Not Dr Tenma...
How Johan gained so much power? It was never shown how he was doing that. Only hinted
Was Johan mentally ill, or it was ONLY that his mothers choice affected his life.
How he killed everyone in such an important banquet? Are people blind there?
Like WTF are these nitpicks bro? I can come up with these infinetely, bcs thats a fiction.
Seems like the review was malintended from the very start, with comparisons to not so similar mangas
The “boring or mid ending” is amazing because it reminds you of life you can expect the best things to happen and they happen but when they do your less hyped it’s life
The ending definitely feels that way. Might feel anticlimactic, but it is thematically consistent
Holy shit everyone says this about every mid ending in manga existence please stop the ending was shit and so were the last 100 chapters. It was poorly written just accept it stop making excuses
I agree with you, but i also agree that it is a bit anticlimatic, but in the end its just about the characters' childhood problems and everything is resolved. For me, seeing the characters happy and relieved is enough.
AT LAST!!!! ITS OUT!! IM SO HYPED! IBE BEEN WAITING THE WHOLE WEEK! IM GONNA BINGE THIS SO HARD
I'm super glad to finally get this out. I hope you enjoy!
This story, at least for me, is about how the little moments matter and how the past defines you, but shouldn't hold you back. A story about the importance of bonds, identity and the human spirit. I really wish it will get an anime and I hope they dont change the story much (even the ending). I hope more people know of this story as I feel it relates to a lot of people, and seeing it in animated form would be very cool. But even if it wont get one since its a long story, even longer than Monster, this series will live in my heart as one of my favorite character driven stories and will forever be timless.
Hi- just finished watching this over 3 days, and at this point this is a bit older of a video, but I wanted to throw my hat into the ring.
I'll start by saying I'm very thankful for this video because it showed me a really valuable perspective on the message of the series. When I originally finished this series about 2 years ago (im 24), I kind of went "ok, so what?", and I really didn't have a good grasp on the central messages. What you shared about growing up and maturing is so valuable, and it really changes how I see the story. One of the things holding me back from considering this series one of my favorites was that I didn't really think it had that strong of a purpose for existing- unlike monster, for example, which is very clear about "the point" in my opinion. So I'm really happy that this video was able to show me that I was missing something, because I can have a greater appreciation for it now!! And I love what it has to say, now that I'm actually looking at it that way.
Naturally, I think this is a good opportunity to what I eventually saw as "the point" of 20th CB. I saw it as a wonderful display of the indomitable human spirit, the power of persistence, and every person's capacity to enact change. It's not a particularly "deep" idea, but I think because of the amazing time skips and grandiose scope, the execution of the idea is still impressive. And through this perspective, I actually found some peace with the world building flaws that you discussed in this video. If the point is that even regular people can change the world against a global threat, I actually think it plays into that to not understand how Friend gains power between time skips, or how the world never questions him. It just makes him seem all the more untouchable, all the more impossible to take down. And when I think of that, it highlights the strength and courage of Kenji and the crew all the more. Friend had the whole world in his palm, but he was stopped by a group of comparative nobodies with virtually no training or investigative experience. I don't know if this is a common interpretation, but I wanted to share it in the hopes that I could return the favor, and maybe someone will end up appreciating this series more because I shared this idea.
Cheers!
This is such a good 3h46 minute i have ever have for a full analysis manga. Thanks to you now i am interested in reading this. Keep up your content ✊🏻
Absolutely brilliant video, read all the chapters within a week after your initial video on the manga and was captivating af haha.. keep doing your thing and appreciate your love for shaman king too
Thanks so much! Glad I could help you get into this series. Urasawa's an absolute legend and his stories could always use more love
And cheers, hope you're enjoying how the SK anime's going!
Still can't believe you didn't include kenji playing Bob Lennon for the first time in the iconic scenes, to me that music is like the music of the manga. Urasawa literally played it in the 2012 Japan expo for crying out loud
Anyways this is the greatest 20th century boys video I've ever seen, great job man
Why did it take me so long to find this channel ! This was awesome and the perfect video to watch after a reread of 20th cb
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoyed!
I think the idea of Fukebei being dead and never being the friend is interesting, but to accomplish that they have to make two big changes. One when Man (the second hand man of Friend whose whole name I can’t remember) talked to Fukebei about the spoon bending thing for his tv show. If it is after the science room fiasco (which I believe it is) then it is red herring. They have to change that or make it come before the science room fiasco. Second Yamane shooting “Friend”. We see that the Friend is Fukebei and it would be hard to fake it. The reasoning to improve it could be it is someone else sent by Katsumata (sorry if i am typing the names wrong) who looks like Fukebei and given instructions to say the following stuff. There is case to be made as when Yamane shoots him, he says along the lines of “This was not suppose to happen”. Katsumata could have deceived this Friend follower into doing a plastic surgery and going in his behalf to the science room. There have been some plot holes in this series, so this is not that far-fetched. And the series does make the Friend followers crazy and willing to do anything for Friend.
I do like the idea of Katsumata being the only Friend. It does fill some very needed holes in the story. Having just one Friend and him having the “powers” makes sense. I do get the idea if Katsumata being worse Fukebei, but Katsumata had no personality (that is what I thought when i read the series). He is so ingrained of being someone else he took all the hurt and pain of Fukebei, as he is said to be around him all the time and imitate him, that he became Fukebei. He was a blank slate and Fukebei filled it with his own personality. The egghead also represents Kasumata. When it is showed in the 21st Century that Kasumata face is an egghead it correlates with the egghead showed multiple times in Fukebei backstory implying Kasumata is the egghead filled with Fukebei’s experience and memories. I might be missing some stuff so comment and point me to my overlooking of stuff in the manga.
I think you got it spot on man, I just finished the manga recently and was wondering the whole time maybe Katsumata was always the Friend and took over the persona of Fukube after the incident in 1971, I think Fubuke did actually die there and Katsumata takes his place as the one and only Friend
In live action : yes
@@kylerulesthebigworldi agree too but I just wonder, during when kiriko was talking about fukebei (katsumata) she mentions that he would talk everyday on the phone with someone he knew for a long time. I think it was implying that katsumata was the one on the phone, which negates the whole “katsumata was the only friend” theory. But it could’ve been anyone tbh. I also wonder wtf happened to the whole takasu being pregnant plotline
And if fukebei died in the classroom, then wouldn’t that mean sadakiyo and yamane knew the truth and disposed of fukebei’s body? Unless he died in a separate incident
@@kylerulesthebigworld read vol 20 chap 10 fukubei still alive in 1972
Brilliant vid man! I do agree that the universal praise does lead to some dissapointment, as the story is not without its flaws (which you perfectly put into words!). Love the Friend theory, and it really puts a new light on the manga. 100% gained a sub from me.
honestly, for me 20th century boys was my favorite manga because of many things but probably the most because of Fukubei. He seemed so.... relatable? I mean its not like i wanna ruin the world but his perfect planning and execution and his need for attention just seemed to sit perfectly with me. Oh and also the feeling of not knowing who friend was, especially when Fukubei fell off that building and when he said "Its.... not Sadakiyo" it was such an iconic moment and really made me think, honestly i never would've figured out it was Fukubei after all
edit: also something that i liked SO MUCH about Fukubei was that he was real. For example when he was doing the levitating trick he even went as far to trick even man and that other person. But at the end of the day it really isn't fantasy, it's just... real.
I really came around on Fukubei while making this video. I used to throw him together with Katsumata, i.e. I didn't like how his backstory was done and it wasn't enough. But actually going through the series properly, I think he's incredibly interesting. Those backstory panels, especially around Egghead are so engaging. It fleshes out his character so well.
How did you find the new ending? As a big Fukubei fan I'm curious how you felt about the changes
@@SeaGee well for me the new ending SOUNDS dissapointing (not bad, just dissapointing) but i haven't read the perfect edition so idk, i doubt it'll be anywhere as good as the original, on a side note, sometimes i like to think to myself how the story wouldve progressed if it weren't for Fukubei's death
Yeah I'm in the same boat on the ending. Keen to read it for myself.
I wonder if Kenji and crew would have been able to stop Friend if Fukubei didn't die. He'd never reveal the truth of what he did so the world might've just stayed under Friend's thumb
@@SeaGee on an unrelated note, before i watched your billy bat videos i thought Timmy was an okayish antagonist (i mean billy bat doesnt really have one ik) but now i think hes actually really well done, hes not on johan's and fukubei's level for me but hes up there
Glad I could help flesh him out a bit! Considering how that series handles it's villains I totally get that point of view though. I'm hoping this video will bring up some comments to do the same for me on Katsumata
@seagee I just wanted to say thank you for the vid i can't imagine how long it must've taken.
I literally just finished this story before watching this and enjoyed it immensely. But, i also want to say how this story really hit for me being 23 and just thinking about the different versions of myself really hit home. Realising how growing up isn't as great as it seems when you're a kid and how responsibilities can really get in the way of old dreams if you let them. Sometimes i really think running away from your past is sometimes the only option for you before you can really accept them and yourself for doing what you've already done much like kenji's amnesia. Because having that disconnect can't really help you see things from another perspective. I really enjoyed his return and how he dealt with all of his adversaries, soo understanding and peaceful as he now understands that he's done wrong much like all the people against him and seeing through to the facade they show to others and seeing their true motive to why they do what they do. it's beautiful to read through. and i keep saying to my friends the more i grow up the more i feel like i'm becoming a hippy. Peace and Love for allll maaaaaaan.
But thanks again really enjoyed you dissected such a great piece of work.
I think katsumata being fukubei all along make sense. Fukubei died in the science room when they were kids. At the reunion, THAT was katsumata and everyone including us was made to believe that he is fukubei. That's why ppl who were close to the old friend said that the new one look exactly like him, bc he is the same person. My guess is that katsumata took on fukubei persona up until he fulfilled the original book of prophecy.
But how did he survived when yamane shot him? Back to the science room in the 70's, fukubei tried to show a trick that fake his own death but failed. My theory is that katsumata did the same trick in 2015 and succeeded, which is how he's able to come back alive with his original persona.
Just my thought, i still kinda confused with the whole thing.
Those are some good thoughts! Yeah it gets really confusing trying to piece together exactly how Friend's plans work.
I think Friend being Katsumata the whole time can make sense but for me, it makes more sense if Fukubei was there too. Also tying in better with all the background that he gets without getting much of Katsumata's. I would have loved to see more clues that it was really just Katsumata along the way. As it is now, it feels like a bit of a last minute change
I was thinking of possible ways this could work, given the current plot written out, Friend being Katsumata all along would have a lot of plotholes. But I think it could work if Fukubei died and the two other members; Yamane and Sadakiyo that Katsumata would become the next Fukubei since he was already pronounced “dead” there would be less complications. Let’s say that Katsumata was an orphan that was taken care of by his grandma and he also wore masks all the time; this would take care of complications resulting from Fukubei’s death from families. And then he began carrying Fukubei’s plan as dictated by the Book of Prophecies. This plot also strengthens Katsumata’s motivation against Kenji fueled by hatred as he began to torment with his life by taking away his sister and ruining the lives of others around by incriminating them as terrorists while also settling the score with Fukubei’s bullying as he is now already deceased. The way he resurrected himself would also be inspired by the events unfolded in the “Lie of 1970” by making use of a fake double. This time it would be done right. This could then be interpreted as a jab to Fukubei; tainting his image in the eyes of Kenji’s friend group.
I was mentioning this responding to another comment in the thread.
Something that I noticed about that massive change in the ending of the perfect edition is that the "Fukubei died as a kid = it was Katsumata all along" is only quite quickly mentioned by Kenji in a sort of monologue, but no one else ever confirmed it. Which personally made me wonder whether maybe that was only an attempt of rationalization of the events by Kenji: if Friend had always been Katsumata, Kenjii can take responsibility for what happened and find a cause to all those horrifying events, whereas Fukubei's evil scheme could have not been prevented since there wasn't any real wrongdoing by anyone who led him to assume the identity of friend.
That, at least, is my own explanation to that strange change.
Also because if we accept Katsumata having been Friend all along, then this opens so many plotholes that are not really addressed: how was his death by gunshot faked? And why so many important characters recognize the new president of the world Friend (Katsumata) not being the same charismatic person he was before (Fukubei) despite looking the same?
In the latter part of the story so much importance was given to the fact that world president Friend was not the original that I find utterly bizarre seeing this entire plotpoint being thrown out of the window at the very end, especially with a passing line by someone who had no means to confirm what he is saying.
@@ROMANTIKILLER2 The gunshot could be faked by some plastic surgery. But for me there is another very important point that you all seem to forget. When they realize that the Friend was not Fukubei but someone else, everybody was really worried about Kana. Because before Fukubei's death we knew Kana could never die because she was Friend's daughter. After that everybody is really worried about Kana, because the Friend is another person. And so Kana was in real danger. As she effectively was during the final chapters. Also there is not enough explanation why if Friend was Katsumata all along, after Fukubei's death he acts so differently. And also his lackeys could not accept the "new Friend" at all. Also all those murders after Fukubei's death struggle to find a real explanation, if the Friend was always the same all along the story. So, I can accept someway this important change, but I think the story could work well by changing anything from the first release.
My conclusion is that I have to re-read the story again. I will not do it now, cause I just finished it. But in the next years I will, and try to catch the various hints during the story that Urusawa gave us.
Pls read vol 20 chapter 10 fukubei still alive in 1972
Just finished the series and wanted to say this video was really well presented, it helped me solidify my own thoughts on the manga and I appreciate how the review was structured and presented clearly without being over-produced.
Thanks! That's really encouraging to hear. I'm really glad it helped solidify your own thoughts on the series
Let's gooooooooo a 3 hr epic. Keep up the great work SeaGee!
Thanks man, appreciate you hugely!
The egg head thing, especially when friend sees it as his reflection in the house on hanging hill, made me wonder if Fukubei maybe had depersonalization disorder. Or maybe I’m reading too much into it.
I don't really comment a lot, but just wanted to show my appreciation for the amount of work you put into this. This is probably the longest RUclips video I've ever watched, but it was fascinating from top to bottom. Great stuff!
Amazing video. Thank you so much for creating such an in-depth analysis on one of my favorite pieces of media. 20CB is just unbelievably amazing and you taking the time to point out even the tiniest details, as well as its flaws, have made me appreciate this magnanimous adventure more than ever. I'm someone who is looking into writing solid characters (especially grandiose antagonists) and for you to highlight all of the things that failed to give Friend a clear method to rising to power and a satisfying conclusion to Katsumata, is just SO helpful. This video has given me a solid direction on writing sensible character motivation and methods to their actions, all while inspiring me to fully commit to the fact that characters are what matters most. I will be looking forward to more of your content, so in the meantime I will watch your other Urasawa videos. Cheers and have a wonderful day.
Thanks so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed! All the best with your writing, I hope it comes out amazing for ya. I think Urasawa does some great work with his characters but a lot of them are honestly really hard to fully grasp. Hopefully my interpretation did them some justice. Cheers!
This video is brilliant, I appreciate your extensive work to make it possible. 1:54:53 Your point regarding the UN not intervening in the friend's confession is valid. However, the people of Japan were very scared of the virus and didn't even go outside their homes. This is why I personally accept Urasawa's decision to not depict them rioting. Additionally, Friend's employees were also very scared of his power, and being told he was the author of all the bad stuff that happened in recent years could justify their inaction, as they didn't believe there was anything they could do, given Friend's godlike status in the eyes of the majority of the country.
I like to think Friend being more conceptual than a real character is an... interesting choice. Maybe not the best one, but I do feel it is intentional.
Fukubei is literally trying to live as a character in a story. He is all smoke and mirrors, down to his personality. That's why even while seeing himself in the mirror, he did not know who he was.
Katsumata is different in that he is not smoke and mirrors, he is truly being presented as empty, faceless. Forgotten by the narrative and the readers alike. If Fukubei is a nicely painted empty shell, Katsumata is just an absence. A person shaped hole.
The way I read it, that is why those two make the idea of Friend that powerful. He is this paranoid nightmare. He is smarter than you, one step ahead of you, always watching, always knowing, immortal and omnipresent; not because he is any of that, but because between Fukubei's showmanship and Katsumata's sheer emptiness, there is infinite space for people to make up whatever they want on Friend.
That in itself ties with why I am fine with the story sort of avoiding the explanation of things like magic and methods of Friend. How much is showmanship and how much is reality? We don't know. We cannot know.
Which is why I feel similarly that the ESP magic stuff is necessary for the story to work. "You can't use tricks" the kids would say. Fukubei always used tricks (or at least that is what the story wants us to believe). Kanna doesn't. The bad guy is all smoke and mirrors while the hero is all true honest to god soft magic.
...Except it isn't.
And this is where I don't know if the story does this well or not. I constantly flip flop if this is just confusing for its own sake or actually kinda brilliant.
Things aren't that clear. There isn't a sure answer. Some of the stuff Katsumata does is clearly magic, but it may not be. How much Kanna retains her powers is also up for debate. Is Kenji also kinda magical with how his singing basically gives him plot armor.
The same way Fukubei isn't completely smoke and mirrors, he has a personality underneath that resonates with his actions. The same way Katsumata is not completely forgotten, as people remember him by correlation of the science lab. The world isn't black and white and sometimes things don't get completely wrapped up.
Does this help the narrative? I dunno
Man, I kinda feel bad when I watch your videos, because i really enjoy your content, and i see the amount of effort you put in it, so it hurts a bit seen just so little views for the such overall good content you provide
Thanks Emmanuel. Honestly, just having people to chat about these series with is huge. Even if it's just one person who watched the whole thing and is down to talk about it, then it's worth it for me. Okay that sounded real corny but yeah I'm happy working on this even if it doesn't pull massive views
Also glad to know the content is good! I feel like this is a great series and I don't want to do it an injustice.
@@SeaGee hahq, well keep it up man, just finished the video, I have my disagreements but that is actually something good, I'll be waiting for your next project.
Glad to hear it! Would be real guttured if noone disagreed with some of my points
I really like this video and the effort you put into this, I was kind of bored of "no-spoiler" reviews since I wanted to hear/read others people thoughts on a series I liked so much and what pieces of the series were their favorites.
Personally, I really liked Katsumata as Friend, because as I see his motivations being so small as a major advantage in my take of the whole series. For me, the series is about how connections and small decisions in out life shape the future we live. The series began with Kenji thinking the rock music in the school would change everything, and gets delusional as he sees it doesn't changed a thing. Yet, that wasn't the truth. A boy chose not to kill himself by the coincidence of Kenji's idea.
And the same is for the "Justice Pin", it was something relatively small, something that adults should "get over". Yet, it wasn't. It shaped the whole future of the world, because it was a coincidence that Katsumata was walking by.
Also, Fukubei doesn't started the rumor that Katsumata died. In every country stealing is bad, but in Japan (and more so in the 70's), it is something so outrageous that people will start to avoid you. Fukubei only explained it to Katsumata.
(My first language is spanish, so in the spanish version it is translated fittingly with Fukubei only explaining it to Katsumata).
Thanks a lot for this video!
Agree that the main villains, i.e. the Friend, in this series are not fleshed out enough. I wish we have more information about their lives growing up, what they studied and worked at, how they seduced and manipulated a small number of people first, then escalated.
I just finished 20th and 21st century boys a few days ago and it’s in my top 3 animanga of all time. So much what you said resonated with me and I’m so glad you made an in-depth video like this-I’d barely heard of the series before I started reading it and I’m surprised at how little I hear about it. It’s such an amazing story I’m not sure why people don’t talk about it as much as monster. I guess I’d just add that I agree Kastumata is a weaker friend than Fukubei, but I don’t think that it necessarily weakens the ending in my opinion. I think the point of both fukubei and katsumata being friend is to emphasize the dichotomy of the “heroes” vs villains in the story, one side grew up and the other didn’t (to put it simply-you expanded on this theme well in your vid). Both fukubei and katsumata couldn’t get over things that happened in their childhood and remained 20th century boys. In that way I see how katsumata emphasizes the theme/message of the story along w Fukubei though it would’ve been nice to flesh him out more for the audiences satisfaction. However I also think that the alienation katsumata faced(even moreso than Fukubei) and having katsumata only ever be mentioned by name drives home the point of how feelings of loneliness can drive people crazy (note the different approaches fukubei and katsumata took as friend). Fukubei, as u mentioned had a friend group and was even supposed to appear on TV, was more level headed and logical. Katsumata, who by the end of the story never had a face reveal and was even ‘killed’ by his own ‘friend group’, was unhinged and erratic-two very different ‘friends’ both stemming from similar childhood experiences of loneliness and alienation, partially a result of Kenji’s groups treatment towards them. At the end of the day I do think ‘Friends’ motivation is a childish one, it’s well done in the way it’s written but at the end of the day it is ‘childish’ which is why I think people can consider friend a weak villain. His motivation might not have been the most compelling but I think it’s perfect for the themes of the story of growing up as you mentioned. The mystery of who friend is is definitely the legacy I think of when it comes to “friend” rather than friend themself-but in a way I think that’s also the point of friend as an antagonist. His identity isn’t what mattered, it’s what he did because he didn’t have an identity, what he was able to get away with because he was forgotten. To be cheesy, hurt people hurt people, and the lengths friend went exemplify a childish idea of revenge on those who made them feel that way (kenjis group). Perhaps friends methods are a bit unrealistic/unbelievable, but considering the context of Japan during the time of its release I can’t not believe that this series is a masterpiece despite having flaws. Thanks again
There is only one Friend, which is Katsumata. This was changed in the Perfect Edition of 21st Century Boys
Funny how out the big 4 urasawa stories only billy bat doesnt have a central villain with an identity conflict
Incredible video! Thank you very much for your hard work. I have one request, do you think you could make a compilation/summary of your favorite/iconic moments of the series and their chapters so I can revisit them?
Thanks so much! I might be able to when/if I come back to this series but for now, here's some chapters for you. (And I apologize for any bad formatting!)
Favourite Scenes:
Yuki's Disillusion - 15
Yuki Kanna Dinner - 99
Sada's Photo - 108
Yosh's Summer - 156
Otcho's Radio - 196
Iconic Scenes:
Kenji's Guitar - 22
Otcho Church Window - 97
I Am Godzilla - 118
Resurrection - 169
Don't Shoot Someone - 198
If this ever gets an anime it would be cool for the ending to have both fukubei and katsumata as friends but still retains katsumata’s bullying flashback and gutalala scene at the school rooftop (obsviously minus the part where kenji says that fukubei died as a kid)
I'd agree. I reckon some sort of combination of the two would probably work out best
@@SeaGee only now rereading the story I've noticed something that deeply bothers me and no one talks about. The manga doesn't say almost ANYTHING about the cult's actual beliefs. We get some brief phrases about the cosmos, obtaining perfection, Friend's prophecy before the Bloody New Year's Eve saying that ''Kenji will free 9 demons from the center of the Earth'' and that's it. That whole plot with the italian priest discovering the cover-up assassination of his mentor and the book mixing a bunch of religions and saying that the Christian era ending in 2015 doesn't really lead to nowhere besides being a convoluted way to make the japanese priest travel to Italy.
@Hugo Correa that's a fair point. I wonder if that's intentional. Keep it relatively vague so the reader can sort of project their own ideas on them. Leave it up to the reader to make sense why people would follow the Friend Cult. I would have loved to see it explored some more but hey I guess it is what it is
My friend who just finished the series (who also reccomended me of this manga) literally has to reccomend me this specific video, along the journey i was reading the manga due to how complicated and heavy it was. Which ngl as a person that always forgets things, this literally helped me a lot lol, thanks a lot man
I haven't finished it yet but im so glad i could just pull out a portion of the video to explain it to me instead then continue reading
The individual Friend analysis is very appreciated, after finishing this series the other day, I did notice the lack of analysis of the series on RUclips, and even more so, analysis of Friend. Literally looking up "Friend 20th century boys" comes up with NOTHING, even a year later. Which is weird with how many videos there is analyzing Johan from Monster. Almost feels like an undug gold mine for content
i have been going through a depressive episode recently and revisiting my favorite manga with you was absolutely great! thank you so much for it. i would also adore to have you making a similar video about monster and billy bat. about my favorite moment, that would have to be both friend's ressurection and fukubei's backstory, as i relate a lot to him. seeing a character who went through the same sufferings i have has helped me feel a lot less alone and, seeing how messed up of a man he became after embracing all his inner evil desires and flaws, i get a lot more motivated to become a better person! honestly, i do have some pet peeves and your video gave me some more of them, but i really dislike how friend's rise to power isn't explained with depth too, even though he is one of my favorite antagonists for how thematical he is, as a man who never grew up from his childhood and being pretty much a child playing with the world as if it was his new toy box, just like kaminaga says later in the story. anyways, thank you so much for the video, it became one of my favorites in the platform!
Thanks so much, that's really kind! I am hoping to do a deep dive like this on Monster later in the year so glad to hear you'd be into it.
That's one of the things I absolutely love about manga. Seeing characters we can relate to go through things and in the process we learn things ourselves. I love Fukubei's backstory too. Urasawa gets so much into those pages
Hope you're keeping well and thanks again!
@@SeaGee how long u took for this video?
Oh gosh this was maybe a couple months solid work? Mostly around reading and scripting tbh
I think Sadakiyo having a face in his final VR appearance is more symbolic of Kenji remembering him, and by extension proving Sada's own fears of not being cared about or remembered wrong. Kenji remembers the real him unlike the "Friend" who made the Virtual Attraction.
I just realized that 20th century boys is a glorified Scooby-Doo episode, its even has a “Now let’s see who’s REALLY behind that mask” as one of their plot points.
This is a fantastic review of a series most consider a masterpiece. While I love hearing people talk about all the great parts of a manga I appreciated the critical bits as well. No one not even the very best artists are perfect
Really enjoyed this video, so well made. Any plans on possibly making a Pluto video? it’s personally my 2nd favourite Urasawa work and I haven’t seen any in depth reviews/analysis of it on here.
Thanks so much! I do have some loose plans to hit Pluto sometime this year, hopefully in a similar sort of format as this, but it's probably a wee way off. Got some other series I want to dive into before then
Still haven't caught up with the series, but i applaud you for a 3 hour video, must've been a hell to put together. This is nuts. Imma watch it when I'm done with the series ;)
Thanks man, and yep you'd be right. My computer was Struggling at the end there!
@@SeaGee I don't think mine would've pulled through with that big of a video at all xD
I think Seagee is misunderstanding the nature of Fukubei/Katsumata and their character. Is Urusawa intends that Fukubei in fact died as a child, then the Fukubei we see in flashbacks IS Katsumata. Katsumata shows a number of consistent traits: he's grandiose, he lies compulsively, and he wears "masks" ie assumes identities. We never "see" Katsumata's face, not even Katsumata himself knows his own face. When Fukubei sees the egghead, that actually isn't Fukubei, it's Katsumata AS Fukubei.
Katsumata also lacks creativity. He wishes to be big and seen, but he views himself as small and dead. He only achieves his desires by occupying other people's fantasies, and assuming other people's identities. This is also a reflection of cults in general. Most cult leaders claim to be great prophets, like friend, and like friend, theirs "prophecies" just turn out to be fake shallow versions of other people's ideas and religions.
He criticises the friend cult as implausible, but I urge anyone to read about the principal cults Urusawa likely based it on, namely Aum Shunrikyo, the Unification Church, or for westerners Scientology. The friend cult is less fantastical then we're probably comfortable with.
I finally found the time to read through the entirety of 20th Century Boys, and came here as soon as I'd finished. Urasawa's works are criminally underdiscussed, so it's great to see that your'e still uploading content on his work! (Please excuse the long comment ahead, but I wanted to respond to your impressively-thorough video with a similar level of thoroughness.)
Personally, I found the first few chapters of 20CB to be surprisingly slow. Pluto, Billy Bat, and Monster had all hit the ground running in terms of establishing a suspenseful and intruiging atmosphere, but 20CB took its sweet time with the SoL first. I think I didn't get invested in the mystery until around Chapter 9, when the threat/origin of Friend's ambitions started to become clear, but I did appreciate how the more "mundane" events allowed the audience to get used to the non-linear storytelling method wherein past & present events are interleaved. It kinda reminded me of Christopher Nolan's "Memento", where snippets of the past are interwoven with current events, so as to emphasize the importance of the past upon the present, thus holding the entire narrative together.
I also agree with your assessment about the character writing in this series; even compared to other Urasawa works, I found myself rooting for the protagonist's team with the utmost enthusiasm. Whereas Monster's character writing focused on the *common humanity* evident across people from different walks of life, 20CB took a different appraoch, endearing you to its characters by showing the progression of each person's *individual history* . Everyone had a turn to be the MVP (even Donkey, who'd died early on in the plot), and everyone had a chance to show how badass they could be (even apparent "cowards" like Maruo, Yoshitsune, Kakuta, and Keroyon). Each time one of these characters put themselves at risk, I was attached enough to genuinely emphasize with Kenji's plea, "please don't die".
Furthermore, I'm totally with you regarding the glossed-over details of Friend's rise to power. In Monster, Johan's methods were never really explained either (e.g. how did he manage to start up a black-market money laundering empire at the age of 15?), but I feel like it works because almost everything about Johan's psyche was kept opaque to us. With Fukubei, however, you get full chapters from his POV, and that kind of strips away the "fog of mystery". He's clearly established as a human being with certain shortcomings (e.g. constantly being unnoticed/overlooked, his raging egocentrism/need for attention), so it felt a bit unsatisfying - even incomplete - when we only get partial elaboration into the behind-the-scenes activities of his cult.
I have to say, I really like the favourite & iconic scene lists that you've included. It's a pretty unique way to track/categorize key plot points, and I'm inclined to agree with most of them (Otcho has a lot of epic moments, doesn't he? Best boy right there). Urasawa really knows how to craft an emotionally powerful scene, so it was great to see you appreciating them one by one.
As for Kenji's line that "you didn't turn out like I'd hoped", I've heard some people claiming that it's apparently a translation error, and that it should've said "I'm not who you think I am" instead. Nevertheless, it essentially communicates the same idea as what you've elaborated in your video (ie. he's *not* a hero that never runs away, and doesn't want her to bear the burden of such a responsibility either).
100% agree with your notion that 20CB is likely a spiritual precursor to Billy Bat. You can clearly see the same core themes (ie. the profound influence of creativity and storytelling) explored through Kakuta and his mangaka friends, and also through the power of Kenji's music. I feel like Kakuta might've even been a prototype for Kevin Yamagata.
Glad to hear that I wasn't the only one that felt 21CB had a significant drop in storytelling quality, haha. The anti-proton bomb honestly seemed to come out of nowhere, I didn't really care for the "redemption" arcs of Manjoume and/or Takasu, and the reliance on Kanna's ESP was way too outlandish for a series that's been pretty grounded in reality. The best way I'd heard 21CB described was that "the series (referring to 20CB) went from 0-100, and now it's going from 100-0". Honestly, I feel like this is my biggest gripe with 20CB. The tension is very inconsistent; sometimes it'll be dialed all the way up (e.g. the leadup to Bloody New Year's Eve), but other times it'll feel completely depleted (e.g. the aftermath of Friend's death -combined with the realization that there's still 100 chapters left - had me going "um okay, now what?"). I guess with goals as ambitious as "destroy/save the world", it can be more prone to all-or-none situations?
Finally, I'd say that I largely share your overall assessment of the series. It's a splendid story, with one of the most likeable and badass protagonist groups in all of manga, but the issues of Katsumata's characterization and the psychic/magic stuff kinda weigh it down from being a masterpiece. I tend to find myself always preferring Urasawa's first protagonist over the second (e.g.Yamagata > Goodman, Gesicht > Atom, Kenji > Kanna), but it apparently applies to his first antagonists as well. Of course, some of that is due to personal preference (I guess I prefer more mature protagonists), but in the case of Katsumata, there was a substantial lack of ... well, substance ... to make him a compelling antagonistic figure. I suppose he and Fukubei's lack of compelling characterization could convey the notion that childhood fantasies are just fantasies, and once you take away the imagination/illusion/suspension of disbelief, there's nothing really there. "Friend" represents a shallow fantasy of childhood nostalgia, of unity/utopia, but there is nothing concrete supporting this grand ideologue. It's all just a game of pretend in the end, such that you end up as disillusioned as Yukiji once you pull back the curtain and reveal the Wizard of Oz to be no more than a feeble man.
Wow awesome, thanks for your thoughts Ray! This is exactly the kind of thing I've been looking for while going into this series.
I can see where you're coming from with those early chapters. It takes a while for a clear plot to emerge out of all the sinister ideas around Friend. Especially considered to those other Urasawa stories. I generally give it a pass just due to how long this series is. Plus yeah it does set up a lot of what the series relies on for the rest of the story. The time jumps, the major characters, and the mundane life they find themselves in at the start. Personally I find the start of the new book of prophecy chapters the slowest. Then again I'm not a huge fan of the whole pope assassination plot point anyway.
Yes! I think Urasawa nails endearing the reader to these characters. I love how fans of 20CB will always have standout people and moments. For me, Yosh was a real MVP. It's really a testament to Urasawa's skills. Giving each character their own (even if small) arc and time in the sun. It also adds so much to the dread of the series. We love these characters and really want to see them get out okay.
Glad I'm not alone with thinking Friend's rise felt rushed. For me it was a real key piece to explore why Friend is an imposing villain but the story never actually explores it. Yeah like you say, it kind of works in Monster because of how Johan is set up whereas Friend's background doesn't really tend itself to political mastermind.
Thanks! What were you're top 5 moments? I honestly found myself with extras for both lists and needed to cut them back down to 5 each.
I can see what the official translation for "you didn't turn out like I'd hoped" soon hopefully. I've honestly had the hardest time trying to get a hard copy of 21st Century Boys so hearing the news that Urasawa was finally getting his work put up online has got me stoked!
I can absolutely see Kakuta being proto-Kevin. I'd never picked up the connection between the two stories before but after going through making this video it was one of the things that really stuck out to me. Its so cool to see some of the ideas that would develop themselves out to Billy Bat in the future.
That is a great description of 21st Century Boys. It still kind of shocks me, the difference in quality between those chapters and the first 50.
I can see where you're coming from with the tension issues too. I think the problem is (especially on a re-read) the story builds towards 3 very distinct climaxes at the end of each arc (ah.. maybe 4. I don't really count 21CB). Though each arc isn't really focussed on building to those moments. There's a lot more character moments or side plots developing Friend. Take Father Luciano for example. I literally could not even find a place to naturally add him in to the video. You can leave him out completely and the main plot of Friends resurection remains the same.
I think that's an excellent way to explain Katsumata Friend. All illusion, no substance. Perhaps that is what Urasawa was going for. This character without any well.. character embodies that idea. Anyways thanks for sharing your thoughts, I loved going through them. and Happy New Year!
amazing video you deserve so much more recognition
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoyed
Man thank you SO much for explaining the shortcomings of 20th century boys. I LOVE the manga, but I can't ignore the flaws even if I try to. It's a fantastic read and I reccomend it to everyone, but it seems I almost never see anyone talking about the shortcomings. Thank you for a lot for this.
Thanks! I had the same reaction going around reviews for this series, it just seemed like no one was diving into the faults. Yeah, this is a series I like recommending to people too but it felt off to not acknowledge some of those shortcomings. Anyways, hope you enjoyed!
@@SeaGee exactly! I did enjoy the vid a lot, and was really surprised that a video on my recommended with not that many views was so high quality! It seems filled with passion, keep up the great work man!
If you read carefully when katsumata as the new friend, after the resurrection, it shown that he's uploaded his consciousness to the virtual attraction. that's how there is sadakiyo's childhood face. Chapter 177, page 4.
this is just great analysis, you put a big effort of making this, actually i just finished read it for the first time and still many of things inside my head then watch this as a references and a bit of validation i thought hehe, its just light me up and made my eyes wide open about this series, such a great job man.
A little opinion from me for the ending is just being what we can conclude by ourself either its katsumata or fukubei its just being mystery and that is point which make this series have it's own unique and soul. well i personally realize that this series still have lacks for some point but the feeling that i personally had back then when i was reading this manga is just awesome just as the time i enjoy berserk. that's from me an very appreciate you man for opening this forum for us to discus about thus serious. tons of support for you SeaGee, keep making contents dude.
Thanks, that's really encouraging!
I hope you enjoyed this manga. I'd definitely recommend checking out other stuff by Urasawa if you haven't already.
I literally just finished the series and damn, I am so glad I didn't spoil myself anything
What a spectacular video! I found myself in the same pickle you did regarding finding in-depth 20CB discussion, and this video was perfect for that. You've earned yourself a subscriber.
I definitely felt underwhelmed by KatsuFriend as well, but after a day's worth of thought, I suppose it doesn't bother me too much. An aspect that I had more trouble with was the nature of the protagonists. In the first section of the manga, Kenji is such a fantastic hero. He comes off as a real everyman doofus who tries to do the right thing in a general sense, but is a bit prone to moral cowardice. It's inspiring and exciting seeing him rise to the occasion. But then we hit the timeskip, and Kanna immediately steps into an alleyway of hailing bullets before making peace between Japan's organized crime groups and clearing out a casino, all while everyone comments on how much they like her. Then Kenji comes back!... and he's also a perfect, invulnerable hero now. I generally really liked the discussion post you bring up at 2:27:08, but I feel like by the time he arrives in Tokyo, Kenji is 100% a Goku.
The way all his friends try to "hold things off" for him, the way nobody can touch him, he's a dead-on Goku. Heck, even Otcho has a bit too much plot armor for my tastes. I still think it was great ride over all, but I think you're dead-on saying that the first fifty chapters are the real gold. Monster's been great so far and I've just started Billy Bat as well. Your video made me very excited for them. Excited to see more from you too! Good stuff.
I really like your video. Such well organized and argued themes explored. Nonetheless I think the rewriting of the ending in the perfect edition makes a lot of these themes crumble with the big revelation. Would you consider to explore the perfect edition ending? I mean, Urasawa decided to retcon his work for a reason, and one that actually makes a lot of more sense and leaves less mysteries behind for the best. All the best 🖤🖤🖤
Thanks! Yes I am looking to do a particular look at the perfect edition ending at some point. Don't know when that will be at this stage. I'll probably bundle it together with the FAQs of this video
Wow I just finished the manga last night, time to binge this vid!
It was one of these rare videos where, at the end,
I just sit, speechless
Feelings overflowing through my body
Smile on y face
It's just too good when people talk with their heart
Thank you
Thanks Tom! That's honestly very encouraging to hear
02:00:52 It's not only that Kenji does not play his song at the end. He turns to the other group and tells them to play it instead. I think it's meant to say that he considers his duty (and era) at an end, entrusting the hope and future of the world to a new generation.
The use of the Aunty Donna clip in reference to Monster is just *chef’s kiss*
Ooo haven't you done well
Man! watched it today from India. It was as if all my subconscious opinions were put into this video. Apart from everything aside this video is a trademark for how to do criticisms.
Just a request while YT doesn't like pushing these kinds of videos when you get ample time please do another one of them. And thank you again for this I learnt a lot about criticisms from this.
1:30:17 Yes, you are correct. 服部 can mean both Fukube and Hattori. It's a little difficult to explain but you read it differently because of on'yomi and nanori. Fukube is the on'yomi reading of the kanji based on the Chinese pronunciation, so it's like a literal sound/saying of the kanji. Hattori is the nanori interpretation of the name. Nanori is used when you want the name to have the meaning of the kanji but with a different sound. Thank you for the great video as well, even though this is from almost three years ago, it's a brilliant recap and analysis of one of my favourite mangas.
There's one scene in a flashback of Majoume i think, where we see the Friend floating scene in front of a crowd but from backstage with someone else who was supposed to lift friend up with some wires and a rotating thingy, but in the end friend floated before the person started lifting friend up and shocked Majoume when he noticed that.
That could really support the idea that friend at the beginning was really Kastumata, and he had esp powers like Kanna.
Maybe when the "bended spoon incident" happened and the teacher asked the perpetuator to reveal himself, Fubukei took that chance to pretend he had psychic powers, he just wanted to feel like he did it, but it was actually Katsumata.
And maybe when Fubukei was choking in the science room with Yamane and KASTUMATA, kastumata actually saved fubukei, but didn't reveal himself to let Fubukei think he had actually Psychic Powers.
This would explain how he was still alive after the incident when he told Majoume of his "example projet", he was now 100% convinced he could do it, now that he thinks he's the chosen one or something (Fubukei's troubles with identity)
Idk, I'm just trying to make sense of everything with all the minor plot holes in this manga, it really was an ambitious plot for Urasawa. Nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience I had. Never felt so suspenseful when reading a manga
spent 3 days watching the video but it was completely worth it. I personally think that the lack of answers to the whole mystery around friend is good because it is said from the beginning that Friend is... well Friend. How ever we look at it, the mystery entered our reality. Like the protagonists, we want to know but that's basically all we know. Friend is Friend and to understand we have to believe/ be deceived.
Incredibly timely video! I just binged the entirety of the manga last week and am in desperate need of having someone to talk to. XD
Oh perfect timing Steph! What did you think about the series? And which ending did you read?
@@SeaGee I read the original manga where there were two Friends and highly prefer that version too. Alot of plot points don't end up making sense to me if it was just Katsumata all along. (Altho I do love the idea of it being him who's infiltrating the group in arc 1 instead of Fukubei) STELLAR video BTW! I watched the movie immediately right after, and wow Bob Lennon is actually a pretty great song. XD
Thanks! Yeah the movies do a great job with Bob Lennon. That last concert when Kenji breaks into the Gutalala Sudalala gets me so hyped. Would recommend checking out Urasawa's version too, you can find it on YT. Its not as clean as the movie version but it is really cool to see the man's passion funnel through into jamming the song
Oh im so ready for this, its my day off and i've been waiting on this video for awhile now but you've truly outdone yourself this time my dude!
I have to say I love stories that does a generational character perspective, those who've been around for a long time and have significantly more information available to them in contrast to those younger and grew up in said environment is such an amazing plot twist to roll with. This is something I think Billy Bat and 20th Century boys does excellently, the leads from the past now have a new outlook on the reality they tried to change but failed thus are now cynical or disillusioned.
Thanks so much N! Glad it aligned with your day off.
Yes the whole flashback mechanic in this series is fantastic. It's such a simple but effective and relatable way for Urasawa to flex his character skills. And how the whole world changes and the new characters are the ones brought up in that world. You gotta really feel for Kenji in those last chapters as he feels like it was all his fault
@@SeaGee I stand by in your video on Billy Bat and how you transitioned from Kevin in Japan to Kevin in America was fucking masterful, and really brought home this very concept to me.
You're doing excellent work my dude, like the Billy Bat and "Another Monster" video ill have to rewatch this one a few times to get all the media analysis work you've done. I appreciate you citing your sources as well and giving props to other content creators as well.
Keep doing your thing my dude, you'll get the proper respect on this site one way or another.
Thanks again N, I really appreciate ya. I'm stoked to hear people's opinions on these series aye. Take it easy!
20thcb is extremely underrated one of the greatest manga i’ve ever read
The perfect edition adds the comment of fukubei dying at school as exposition from kenji during the panels where he confronts katsumata on the rooftop. Also the gutalala sudalala is added at the very end of the book after the bowling scene. That's about all the changes I could recall.
It feels like such a big change to the story for such a small addition. I really need to get my hands on that final volume
I literally just watched this video because I didnt know there were a 21st century boys continuation and felt that the ending was off... when it got to this part on the video, I stopped, read it, and came back. I think overall it was pretty confusing, but I forced me through the first 5 chapters and then fell in love. Im in love with Urasawa
One of my top 5 manga. Great video!
The plot line with the priests is one of my favs. I'm not even sure why
Thank you for doing this. I'm not that bright so I have problem remembering shows with big casts. This helped me get more idea
If you get your hands on the perfect edition of 21st century boys a vid on the 2 separate endinhs and how they manipulate the story that would be cool! But this vid is so incredible!
Thanks Yeet! Yes 100% I want a video on how both endings work. I'm really interested to see how the perfect edition ending plays out. When I get my copy, best believe there will be a video on it
Oh is that so? Not gonna lie I am lost here, so 21st Century Boys is like an alternative ending and not part of the original story?
@@BestKeptSecret18 Nah the 21st century boys is the ending to the main manga 20th century boys but the manga as a whole was released in single volume edition and just recently 20th and 21st century boys have been reprinted in perfect edition volumes. 21st century boys' explanation of identity of Friend was changed from the single release to alternate information in the perfect release. Spoilers I you haven't read all of it: the single release of 21st century explains that Katsumata was the second friend after Fukubei was shot whereas the perfect release explains friend was always Katsumata and Fukubei died as a child
@@yeetusweeb5539 oh thank you for the quick reply I am right now at the point in the video haha. This is a very interesting and major change in the story wow
I second this! Please SeaGee!
My theory is that Katsumata was always trapped in the past, in the series they say that it is a child's plan, and it is, I think that Katsumata died that day from the humiliation of the badge, that's why he has a child's brain since that Day didn't grow anymore, that's why he told Kenji let's keep playing, and his plans don't go beyond a boy who wants the heroes to win, that's why he didn't just activate the bomb, which was activated, the bowling alley was the base secret there was the bomb that is the second great boom of bowling. his prophecies always come true
thx you helped me a lot to understand some parts of the story
Found this comment on reddit about the new ending and was kind of good:
I’ve been going through all the books to comprehend the ending better. The biggest clue in to the fact it’s not fukube is in perfect edition volume 2 kenji simply guesses who he’s speaking too at the graduating class of 1971-72 as fukube. Also Kenji sees a copy of 20th century boy in his bedroom. Not once in the book has the kid fukube had any interests in music much less liking anything that kenji does. But there is someone we know who holds the song dear to his heart (katsumata).
As for the deaths it’s an old trick used by fukube at the end of summer break 1971 the end of 1st term of 5th grade Katsumata was there and learned this trick. sadakiyo had already moved after one term 1970-71 (4thgrade). Fukube died off screen in the spring of 1972, and no one was told this, we don’t know if Yamane moved or what happened to him at this point but he knows to never question his friend less he be rejected.
Katsumata copied this trick many times,such as the building fake out. you can use your imagination to say it was a double that fell or they never actually fell and there was bodies set up at the bottom already. Really doesn’t matter cause kenji didn’t care to check also the one who blew up with kenji on the robot.
Yamane shot who he believed was the friend (hattori mask) this was a copy of fukube, and a obvious attempt to get the boys to make the connection of who katsu wants them to think the friend is (hattori fukube). Kiriko recalls her lover fukube spoke often With a friend seemingly of the same age I believe this is them keeping up the same story and character. “The killer” even asks him in their meeting before the murder of kirikos partner if he’s talking to the same person.
The copy of the copy (katsumata) couldn’t continue the ruse of fukube after the prophecies written by fukube ran out of pages . He’s never had a personality of his own, just a child tbh this is why he confides in manjome what would fukube do! Fukube’s last pages shown are when he vows revenge for being exposed for cheating on tv as he could not talk his way out of this one.
After manjome meets a man he doesn’t recognize but introduces himself as hattori he is already being tricked by the copy or possibly the copy of the copy (katsu) it’s only at his gathering he shows manjome his true esp which I truly believe katsumata posses.
Re read with the idea that it’s always been katsumata and you’ll find you can’t point out any real plot holes. Only your preconceived notions throughout the book has left you confused, and the very lie that fukube made left an unreliable narrator in not just the characters memories but in your own deductive reasoning as well. Truly a masterpiece.
10/10 will reply to any questions or disputes, I’m truly trying to get to the bottom of the story I love this book with all my heart.
Link: www.reddit.com/r/manga/comments/poigjx/comment/hcxtffz/?context=3
Why did fukube die in 1972,I feel like that comes out of nowhere unless you are referring to him failing to bend the spoons and he just died metaphorically,If he really died are you saying that he had random people that looked exactly like fukube on display to make it look like he died in 2015 for example.
My biggest issue is how come no one recognized that the katsumata is pretending to be fubuke. Like did the little child got a plastic surgery? If no one hsd seen katsumatas face, someone must have seen fubukie atleast. How come no one ever recognized this. Also What about fubuke's parents . No one ever informed the school. Or the kid has psychic powers to such level that he made everyone conceive of him as fubukie?
I honestly would prefer the original ending to this one and just think of it as a what if
Super good video. I finished the perfect additions the other day and really enjoyed the story but still had some issues. It’s a bit long, and the ending wasn’t perfect. And I viewed the whole “fukabe was dead the whole time” thing as a retcon right away and kinda ignored it so I was happy to find out that that wasn’t the original ending.
I personally love 20th century boys but it simply never flashed my with a thrilling plot and a amazing villain like monster, nor did it connect with me personally like billy bat did.
Looking back after watching this video I really feel disappointed at the second friend reveal. I remember not understanding anything after finishing the series and even now after (somewhat) understanding the ending I still think that the series would have been better of just leaving the second friend out.
This hole video has done such a good job at making me rethink the manga and I am currently rereading it.
Thank you for putting this much effort in this!
Thanks! I'd say I had a pretty similar experience with the series. Certainly enjoyed it a lot but didn't quite hit me like Monster or Billy Bat did. Also in that the whole second friend plot felt a bit off. I can see what Urasawa was trying to do but I don't think it works overly well here. Still a great series though. So many highlights to find.
Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the reread!
Also i wished they had shown us the findings of the legendary detective CHOUNO, i mean he had found out who friend was and who the undercover second friend was all by himself in 1997
Ty for the transparency
thank you for the video, i'm really enjoyed it fully
Cheers! Glad to hear it!
With the "nit picking" point. I think there was a good reason for Urasawa's inclusion of some faces in the background shots of Kenji's friend group that were never shown again. I think it adds to the mystery and confusion within the reader that mirrors the feeling that even the members of the friend group themselves can't remember exactly who were all in the group and how or when they came or went. This theory is reinforced later by their reliance on the class photos to reference/confirm who was actually in their class from any given year of their childhood.
Friend's plan actually relies on the unreliable memories and manipulation of memory to pull it off. This Illustrates how people's minds can be influenced to develop an idea and serve a specific and often self serving narrative. This is done by politicians and public leaders all the time.
This is a really good video. I'm really happy to see 20thcb get this amount of analysis on YT where there is barely any content of it on here. I really hope this compels readers to reread the series and reflect on the characters and themes.
This video does have an awful lot of criticism though and I would be worried that it would make it appear as if you don't like the series - which I don't think is how you feel at all. When you consider that a lot of these criticisms are nitpicks, it makes me wonder whether time would have been better spent highlighting the strengths of the series (perhaps it's not so necessary to do this given the series' critical acclaim?). Just in my opinion, I disagree with pretty much all of your criticisms besides the Yamane situation and the Anti-Proton bomb. But this is probably just to do with what I personally value in storytelling (themes being my top priority) and with regards to that, I think 20thcb is nearly perfect.
I'd recommend looking into the religious symbolism of the series as I feel this may change your perspective on certain moments. To me, it's quite clear that this is Urasawa's take on the Book of Revelations: Kenji is a stand-in for Christ, Kanna for the traditional, Jewish understanding of the Messiah and Friend for Antichrist. While the theme of Growing Up is important, I would argue that this symbolism enables Urasawa to make more profound commentaries on religion, secularism, hedonism and the power of art. THIS is what spoke to me and made me adore this series so much.
Thanks Obluda! I hope the same, for this video to be a chance for people to go a bit deeper into 20thCB. Not just going along with my takes but the stuff they disagree with as well. It's a series that I really think needs a bit more of this.
Ah yeah I see where you're coming from. Honestly after watching how it all came together in the end, I think you're right. It does come off a bit too negative overall (especially in some parts) which was really not the intention. I was trying to keep it more balance but definitely could have spent some more time around the strong parts of the series as to not undersell them. Glad to hear you disagree with a lot of the points too! Again, getting other earnest perspectives is what I've been dying for while looking at this series.
Honestly, reading that last part of your comment; my mind did this montage through a bunch of moments that tie back into it. When Kenji talks to Shikishima's daughter at the er.. adult entertainment place. She monologues some overtly revelation style stuff. Would love to hear more of your thoughts if your keen on sharing
@@SeaGee Still a great video overall. I had a lot of fun binging it - 20thcb is such a special series to me and it's a shame it's barely talked about (especially with full spoilers).
I'd love to discuss more of the religious symbolism as I find it key to developing on some of the themes and characters (particularly Kenji and Katsumata). In a nutshell, I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest that Urasawa was inspired by Revelations as there is an in-world doomsday prophecy that propels the characters and plot.
Kenji is prophesised as the world's saviour but is doubted by most of the world (like Christ), is mostly a pacifist, his "resurrection" (realising he was Kenji and crying on the mountains) takes 3 days (same amount of time between Jesus' death and resurrection), he's outright referred to as "The Messiah" at one point, and he ultimately dismantles Friend's regime with a song (Jesus defeats Satan's armies with his breath in Revelations).
This allows Urasawa to make a link between hippie culture and Christian values that I found fascinating. But I can understand that this might not be interesting to everyone.
That's so interesting, I never would have made that connection. The three days thing I was thinking about too. It's a nice juxtaposition to friend's resurrection happening at the same time. One being literal and fake, the other more metaphorical and real. Maybe that leads into ideas of false prophets and anti-Christ idk.
I made some allusions to the Jesus parallel in the video but didn't think they'd run this deep. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Obluda!
@@SeaGee I remember now that you did mention it, haha. But these are only the things I've picked up on. I thought it was coincidental for a while but the fact Friend changes the calendar (a very important thing Antichrist does) makes me think the symbolism was an intentional move by Urasawa.
I've actually made a couple of videos of my own on Katsumata and his religious symbolism on TikTok if you'd be interested? I'm glad you found my contributions worthwhile:)
Yeah so keen! Shoot me a link so I can check it out. Love hearing your perspectives!
I would argue that the fact that the common belief "is that Friend is a great charater", when he is not really a character but an idea, makes him so great as a character cause we are falling for the same trap than the Friend followers fell.
So in a sense Friend is so well develop that we believe he doesn't have flaws when he has.
This is so true. In the site I was reading in the comments the people was convinced friend had real powers, or that he had clones of himself or something like that. He makes the reader belive his lies like you are one of his followers
Great analysis 👏
It's really unfortunate that literally nobody ever explains their reviews on this series
It's definitely an amazing manga but it definitely has some problems but every review I see is about how it's an amazing mystery
Abouts the endings, I find so many endings in manga or general TV series so disapointing (or they never really finished) that sometimes I find myself bored before the end and even avoid the ending. Thank you for the video, helped me to make sure I understood or if I was going nuts ;)
Thanks! I hope you enjoyed and enjoyed the end of the series too
I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is something unique and I'll recommend any work of Naokii Urasawa's. The sequel is just the ending so it's not really a standalone like you might think it is. Simple the last few chapters than cap off the series. With regards the story quality, you'll always see people on both sides for any work. 20CB for me was extremely enjoyable. The middle parts did get a little slow and the ending I thought could have been just a tad bit stronger but overall, it's a ride I don't mind reliving multiple times if and when I have time.
Thanks for making this video you are the best on RUclips when it comes to manga
Thanks so much, that's very kind. I think overall I have the same sort of ending stance on 20CB. It has its problems like any series does (like that slow middle), but overall one I found really enjoyable. Another amazing work from an amazing mangaka
Hey bro! I just finished all of 20th and 21st Century Boys and it has become my 2nd favourite series ever. Really excited to watch this :)
Hey! Hope you enjoyed, both the video and the series. Out of curiosity which ending did you read and what were your thoughts on it?
@@SeaGee I read both endings (Chapter 249 of 20th and 16 of 21st). I really loved the second ending from 21st where Kenji is talking to himself in the virtual world (especially that last scene where kid Kenji is staring at the sky on the roof while laying down and listening to music, carefree of what’s to come in the future).
It just felt like the closure Kenji needed with his childhood self, and I also loved that the final Friend, the person who ended up receiving the worlds attention ended up being someone who was entirely forgotten in the end - Katsumata. I really like that ending interaction between Kenji and him - since Kenji forgetting him / everyone forgetting him was a part of why things happened in the present
It is some really nice closure for Kenji. That man went through a hell of a lot in this series.
And yeah the idea of Katsumata being this person truly forgotten from history was interesting. Especially since the series did a great job of making you aware of who he is. I mean I have my issues with the execution of Katsumata as friend but the core idea is great.
Really glad you enjoyed the series! As an Urasawa fan it's great to see people checking out his work for the first time
@@SeaGee nw man! I loved it - glad to see people are making long form content on him - gonna check out Pluto next :)