With more people reading manga and Webtoons (aka vertical scroll comics) than ever before, Beat’s Bizarre Adventure gives three writers an opportunity each week to recommend some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. This week we have Dick Fight Island, a great entryway into the work of manga artist Akira Toriyama, and, of course, Dick Fight Island.
Dick Fight Island
Writer/Artist: Reibun Ike
Translation: Adrienne Beck
Touch-up Art and Lettering: Deborah Fisher
Cover and Graphic Design: Alice Lewis
Editor: Jennifer LeBlanc
Publisher: SuBLime
Pulau Yang Indah is a gorgeous archipelago with its own method of governance. They hold a tournament every four years in which a chosen warrior represents each island. The winner is crowned king of the archipelago. To secure the crown in this year’s tournament, the Jewel Clan goes the extra mile and sends their warrior Harto to “study abroad”. He returns just in time for the tournament, but is off to a rocky start even before crossing “juniors” with the neighboring clans.
“I don’t get outsiders. How else would you show off manliness if not by putting your tight, shapely ass on display?”
Words to live by.
Dick Fight Island sparked attention the second its publication was announced by SuBLime. Its artist Reibun Ike has been active since the early 2000s; despite having numerous Boys’ Love works under their belt, not many are licensed in English. So it’s a feat that SuBLime went for one of Ike’s wackiest titles!
Dick Fight Island has everything you might expect and more from a manga with such a name. The participants of the tournament get physical, of course, but it’s a means to an end. The winner is decided by who gets the other off first; that’s why the warriors wear elaborate armor to protect their, well, “target areas”. Harto has a secret weapon he’s learned during his stay abroad, but whether that technique will give him the upper hand and lead him to victory, you will have to read for yourself.
If Dick Fight Island is not your favorite manga, that’s because you have not read it yet. Look, I get it. It’s not easy to ask your local bookseller for the dick fighting manga on a Tuesday afternoon. Neither is it simple to put the book on your shelves for an unsuspecting visitor to take a peek. But is it worth the effort and awkwardness? Absolutely.
This series has lots of burly men who practically have sex in front of the islanders in an arena to determine who will be the next king. The warriors all have past engagements with each other that vary from love to rivalry. This is a completed two-volume series that promises many laugh-out-loud, “need to send this to my group chat”, and “wow… why did the room suddenly get hot” moments. All bundled up into the perfection that is Dick Fight Island. — Merve Giray
Sand Land
Writer/Artist: Akira Toriyama
English Adaptation: Gerard Jones
Translation: Anita Sengupta
Lettering and Re-Touch: Susan Daigle-Leach
Publisher: VIZ
Akira Toriyama was one of the greatest artists to ever make comics. An incredible draftsman and master world builder whose storytelling instincts were flawless. Few artists could approach characters like he could. His masterworks are undoubtedly Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball. But the sheer size of both series might be intimidating to new readers. That’s where Sand Land comes in.
Sand Land distills everything great about Toriyama into a single volume. It’s a funny comic that’s beautifully drawn and makes expert use of the medium. The story takes place in a desert world where a greedy king controls the only supply of water. A sheriff named Rao thinks he might know the location of a phantom lake. But in order to traverse the wastelands, Rao needs help from the demon prince Beelzebub and his ancient pal Thief.
As a storyteller, Toriyama loved playing with expectations. Sand Land’s heroes, an old soldier and a pink sized demon, might not look imposing. But Beelzebub is a demon with a code of honor, who helps his people and tries not to kill his opponents. It’s a joy to watch him bond with Rao and Thief on their trip to the phantom lake. Opposing them are the resource hoarding villains, which also make Sand Land a particularly timely read right now.
The real joy of a Toriyama comic though is just looking at it. Few people drew monsters and machinery with such aplomb like he did. The tank that the protagonists drive around is no exception, even if Toriyama would later regret making a tank a central element in the story. And like all of his work, there are so many jokes (Satan reading Faust!) and funny bits. If there was anywhere to start with this master, Sand Land is a good place to do so. — D. Morris
FLCL: The Complete Manga Omnibus
Story: Gainax
Adaptation and Art: Hajime Ueda
Lettering: Steve Dutro
Translation: Roy Yoshimoto, Stephanie Sheh, Michael Gombos
English Language Adaptation: Philip R. Simon
Publisher: Dark Horse
FLCL…Fooly Cooly…Furi Kuri…whatever name you desire, this series held a generation of American anime fans in a choke-hold thanks to being broadcast on Adult Swim back in the early 2000s. Though I don’t know if it’s still considered one of the pillars of must-see anime recommended to newer fans, it used to stand alongside the likes of Cowboy Bebop and Evangelion. Its incredible soundtrack by the Japanese rock band The Pillows also helped with its hype aura.
In case you don’t know, the story of FLCL follows Naota, a young boy who feels isolated in his home town even with friends around him. One day when a mysterious woman on a vespa hits him in the head with a guitar, it unlocks within him the power to bring forth mighty robots who then do battle within said town. The manga delves into parts of the story that I don’t remember the anime ever touching, while still choosing to hold back certain details. Thanks to Hajime Ueda‘s incredible art and storytelling skills, though, I was fully engrossed even though I felt lost at times.
Just like the anime, the manga explores what it means to grow up, the angst of burgeoning puberty, the despair of loneliness and how difficult it can be to connect with others. Ueda’s art captures these moments with incredible accuracy while still providing bright spots that can be found in everyday experiences. He also channels the monumental fun that comes from seeing robots and creatures duke it out in contained urban settings.
If you consider yourself a fan of FLCL but haven’t checked this out, or just want to experience the story for the first time and think the manga might be a fun place to start, I can’t recommend this book enough. This is where style and substance intertwine. — Derrick Crow
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