TITLE: CITY vol. 1
YEAR: March 2018 (US Release Date)
COMPANY: Vertical Comics
Story & Art by Keiichi Arawi
From Keiichi Arawi, creator of the comedy manga series “Nichijou” (My Ordinary Life) and “Helvetica Standard” comes his most recent work “CITY”.
The manga is serialized in Kodansha’s “Morning” publication beginning with issue no. 44.
With four graphic novel volumes released in Japan since 2016, the first volume will be released in North America courtesy of Vertical Comics.
The gag manga revolves around numerous characters in the city:
- Nagumo Midori – A 20-year-old deadbeat who lives in Room 201. Behind on rent, because she keeps betting her money on horse racing and she often depends on Niikura for money. Which she does not intend to pay it back. Because she tole and broke a restaurant statue, she ends up working at the Makabe restaurant in order to pay the rent.
- Niikura – An 18-year-old student of Mont Blanc University who lives in Room 101. She is weary of Nagumo who keeps borrowing money from her. Dreams of becoming a photographer for now.
- Izumi Wako -A 20-year-old student of Mont Blanc University who lives in Room 204. She likes taking photos but very weird and prays towards a little statue who she think is a god.
- Kamaboko Oni – Author of “Mr. Bummer” and lives in Room 203. The manga is a fan favorite but he has since ran out of ideas.
- Grandmother (Obaba) – The landlord of the building, also the mother-in-law of Mr. Makabe and grandmother of Tatewaku. She is very persistent and very strong.
- Tsurubishi Makabe – Owner of the Makabe restaurant and father of Tatewaku and Matsuri.
- Mrs. Makabe – Wife of Tsurubishi who is the mother of Tatewaku and Matsuri. She is gone doing archaeological excavations and often sends her family strange things.
- Tatewaku Makabe – Belongs to a soccer club in high school, but is a back-up. Very superstitious. Happy that Nagumo is working at the family restaurant, so he can attend club meetings.
- Matsuri Makabe – Junior high school student.
- Honkan – The new police officer. Thanks to Oba-san, everyone thinks he is a thief.
I absolutely did not know what to expect from “City”, a manga about different characters living in the city (but somehow there is a connection to all of them).
While Nagumo is often featured as a primary character, in truth, every chapter revolves on a certain character.
You have Nagumo who is behind on her rent, trying to find ways to get money from Niikura. Niikura also tries to teach Nagumo on how to make men swoon by having duck lips. But Nagumo having to work part-time at the Makabe family restaurant to pay her rent.
You have the superstitious Tatewaku wanting to know what the lucky item is of the week and when the newspaper says “skirt”, he wears a skirt, which he becomes a laughing stock of the city.
You have the super strong and not one to mess with grandma, who wants her rent money from Nagumo but also putting the new young police officer on the spot to lift a heavy bag of items (not knowing it’s stolen items that grandma has taken from people in her building who haven’t paid rent).
You have the bizarre Izumi Wako who believes her luck is attributed to a mouse statue who she thinks is a god.
And you have an old man who owns a liquor store next to Makabe who has a grudge against them and spies on them with cameras.
You have insight on those who work for “Banana Weekly CITY” Magazine and so much more!
This manga is a breath of fresh air because it’s so hilarious, so different that it leaves you craving for more!
As for the artwork, Keiichi Arawi has a distinct style which people maybe familiar with in “Helvetica Standard” and “Nichijou” and the same goes for “City” and it works!
Definitely my favorite Keiichi Arawi manga series by far and if you want something fun, something different and unique, then definitely give “City” a try! Recommended!