By Mitsuhisa Tamura
Viz, 199 pp.
Rating: All Ages

BakéGyamon is in every way that classic shonen story. A boy, our hero who goes by Sanshiro Tamon, is a lover of adventures. Despite his grandparents’ gripes, Sanshiro is obsessed with spending his time, like his father did, seeking adventure across the world. Unfortunately, he has never left his small island and seems fatalistically destined to be the owner of his family’s inn. This all changes though when a mystery shadowy figure by the name of Fue, enters Sanshiro’s life, inviting him to join the backwards game of BakéGyamon.

To me, this rings a bell several times over. I can’t help but think of a mix of Pokemon, Digimon, Beyblade, and Bakugan. BakéGyamon, however, does an excellent job at breaking away from the normal, giving the classic shonen story a refreshing modern twist. The game of BakéGyamon is set in modern Japan, however there are no people there. Fue explains the setting as a “backwards” version of Japan, with just the buildings and architecture flipped upside-down. I enjoyed this aspect of the story, considering most shonen I’ve explored has taken place in the hero’s hometown. Another aspect that sets the story apart is the toy called the Geki Ban and the monster cards, called Geki Fu. I call it a toy because as soon as BakéGyamon hits popularity, Bandai or someone else is going to make an electronic version of it. And I will probably buy it.

Regardless, the idea of an electronic monster summoning devices is something we’ve seen before. Usually though, the electronic device is paired with a specific monster (For example, Tai and Agumon from Digimon). BakéGyamon is interesting because it doesn’t designate each player a specific monster ally; instead, at the beginning of each battle, the players choose a card. I also really enjoyed this aspect, as it focuses not on the relationship between the two characters and the friendship they build over time, but rather the resourcefulness of the character. In Sanshiro’s first battle—where the goal is to defeat and touch an ogre’s horn—he draws a trio of mud babies called Dorokozo, who are considered incredibly weak but have the ability of create more mud babies. Instead of relying on the power of his monster as others try to do, Sanshiro builds up a huge tower of mud babies, allowing him to jump onto the horn, knocking down the ogre.

Sanshiro is a very likeable shonen character. Most shonen characters are known for being annoying and
rather repetitive, but Sanshiro is quite the opposite. He is intently focused on his goal, but he doesn’t overstate it. In the first few pages, you understand his goal and it never really appears again. He is more observant of the world and the people around him than himself. Sanshiro also is a character that doesn’t try to be something he’s not. He is a typical fifth grader, still growing and learning. Sometimes heroes are overly mature or wise, or they can be naïve and silly. Mitsuhisa Tamura has found a nice balance that readers can relate to.

In terms of the artwork, BakéGyamon is pretty cute. All of the characters images fit their personalities well. One character, named London, wears a British flag bandana on his head, symbolizing his love for punk music. The creatures are the true artistic gem of this book though. You can tell that Tamura took a lot of time in terms of figuring out what creatures would appear, how they would look and how they would reflect the culture of Japan. Many of the creatures sport a Japanese name—usually mystical—and the image fits.

As a fan of the shonen genre, I am truly excited about this series and ultimately about the VIZKIDS line. Viz seems to be taking extra-special care in building a fan base at a young age, and it looks like it’ll pay off (I saw a book in the inside cover called Dinosaur Hour: I want it!) BakéGyamon was the obvious choice for a good shonen starter. Hopefully, it’ll spark a new generation of manga fans.

Volume one of BakéGyamon is available now.