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[Morghus]

You know how every damned action manga out there has a hero. Every freakin’ one of them has a dream, all of them are bloody paragons of virtues, and they’ve ended up being lonely for daft reasons we struggle to care about. They’re all so damned special for some unique aspect of their being, and in the beginning they all suck so much we groan.

Not to mention that they’re always presented as shy little kids and teens with no hope in hell of wooing women. Forever have we been presented with these characters that endlessly drag on about tired and old conventions, littering the landscape with drab and boring creations whose sole redeeming feature was being appealing to us poor addled creatures because they were slightly more exciting than the girly NANA and (blood-)sucky Vampire Knight.

Then came Isutoshi, the genious behind Slut Girl and Tende Freeze, forth from the darkness to give us AIKI. Joukyuu Kunitoshi, the anti-hero that struggles to care, tries to have sex with any female with breasts and doesn’t feel particularly lonely. He’s fucking awesome at martial arts, is far from shy and unlucky around the girls, and a superspecial asshole martial arts prodigy with a handicap created by his father in a fit of paternal worry and anger through devious means.

Confused because there cannot possibly be such an amazing piece of work out there, and I have to be making it up? Fear not, for S.A.S stepped up to the plate to deliver unto us that which is awesome!

What more to say to truly do this series justice in words? Imagine King Leonidas screaming: “Go! Read! It!” and kicking you in the nads for not being on your way already. Take the hint, read the damn thing.

Right now I’m listing my favourite mangas like this:

1. One Piece
insurmountable gap between the awesomeness that is One Piece and the rest
12. AIKI
13. Full Metal Alchemist (still writing about this one )

With lots of on and off loveable series onwards. The fact remains that One Piece and Full Metal Alchemist are the only two mangas that manages to not only be awesome all the time, but getting increasingly so.

AIKI is a relatively new addition to my list at all, so longterm quality and fun can still be questioned. The thing is though, Isutoshi’s known for his strong cast of characters and focus on fun, and since I love a good cast of characters I think I’m justified in having high hopes for this series. While I know that reading a manga that a (primarily) hentai-mangaka’s writing can be offputting for some, I sincerely think that any reservations of that kind should be cast off to give this one a chance.

Originally from my blog, but since you guys don't have an AIKI thread which this series so richly deserves...

[asd12]

Sounds like AIKI will be awesome, downloading it now.

One Piece though.... ug.

[jack4s]

i'm reading it and is great thing, expecialy when suprise everyone with his acitons wich are normaly perverted, smart or strong/fast.

[Morghus]

i'm reading it and is great thing, expecialy when suprise everyone with his acitons wich are normaly perverted, smart or strong/fast.

Hehe, yeah, it's simply fantastic to get a hero that's not some boiled out stereotype <3

[Pina]

Still nowhere near Dark Schneider, from Bastard.

[Morghus]

Just when I was about to bawl my eyes out at the lack of AIKI updates coming out to soothe my longing, S.A.S brings me relief in the form of chapter 38, and the chapter looks like it's bringing moar plot to the table.

... and our hero keeps being awsm :>

[Bucyf]

Morghus my man You're taste in manga is just to awesome Comrade T_T
AIKI is so damn good that I reread it couple of times already.
 The main hero Jokyou[did I spell it right] is just to awesome he goes around doing some ass whipin and banging people man this guy is crazy but craziness is what I like ^_^
(try Tende Freeze it's by the same author and it's good to)

[Morghus]

Yup, read and liked Tende Freeze. It's probably one of the more enjoyable mangas I've ever read. Think I made a thread somewhere that noone replied to

[Morghus]

Hahaha, jesus, in the latest issue where she puked. Isutoshi's got the best way to draw exaggerated faces, it's just so hilarious.

[StrayDog]

I just saw this thread, and.... I fucking knew it was isutoshi! (which shouldn't be such a revelation, considering it says so like 3 cm from the title, but still)
seriously though, it needs more porn before being even comparable to bastard!!.... that and unlimited powuh
god, I miss bastard!!

[Morghus]

I checked out Bastard from your recommendation here (however undeliberate it was), and I thought it was pretty awesome, just not like AIKI. Bastard is like a nice mangaka trying to portray a dick, while AIKI is a dick of a mangaka trying to portray a nice guy. There's a subtle difference there, and Bastard, while fun, really suffers from it. AIKI on the other hand is just downright fun, at least for me.

I think I like where Isutoshi is taking this series. The main character continues to be excellent, and the characters are so much fun. From the dumb hooligan to the chick he slept with in chapter 1 or 2...

Edited: Meant mangaka trying to be a dick, and vice versa.

[StrayDog]

he's not a nice guy, he killed millions prior to the beginning of the manga
it's just the stupid kid he's bound to that's screwing up his image

but, yeah, I'm liking aiki more and more
I'm really disappointed in the dumb hooligan, as you put it
I really cheered for that guy

[Morghus]

Oh damn. That showdown came sooner than I thought!

I wonder if Isutoshi got bored or something, but in any case I kept laughing all the way through. His style is so hilarious

[StrayDog]

I just love it how he starts a new plot without doing anything about the one currently running

[Morghus]

Holy crap, nerieru's on a damn roll here!

And he got his ass handed to him. Can't say I'm surprised, and I'm really enjoying the meta-physical level that Isutoshi's keeping the combat on. Looks like it also allows him to be really creative.