Seraphim: 266613336 Wings

If an elderly European, a Japanese military leader, and a dog have the names of the 3 Wise Men as their call signs, what does that make the Chinese girl [the sole survivor of her village] whom they protect? The depth and beauty of this world created by this duo of anime and manga masters opens up with the accompanying afterwords by the editor of its Japanese serialization [Takashi Watanabe] and its English edition [Carl Gustav Horn]. Mamoru Oshii and Satoshi Kon collaborated on the art and story of SERAPHIM. The characters are strong with many layers of mystery. Unfortunately this story, like Dickens' THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, is left incomplete due to death. Enjoy immersing yourself in the art and story telling of SERAPHIM: 26661336 WINGS, figure out its foreshadowing, and speculate about what has been left unsaid as to the truth of the "plague" and the interactions of the diverse characters on their quest for truth. Be thankful for what actually reached print and do not mourn its eventual reader's interruptus.

Incredible pacing and characters. Artwork was flawless and really gave a sense of setting.*****spoilers below******I only gave it four stars because the ending wasn't really an ending at all but an explanation of why we wouldn't get one lolA great read, but no closure

This manga has such a great plot. The ending is a bit disappointing but the writing and character development makes up for it. I highly recommend this to any ghibli fans.

This is incomplete (my fault for not checking into this title before ordering it). Apparently the collaborators on this split up years ago, with this project unfinished. One guy is dead, the other has no interest in working on this anymore. The book just ends, no resolution at all, just when I was really getting into as well. Don't buy this, rent it from your library or borrow it from someone - but don't buy it. I'll be selling mine someday (or donating it), as there is no conclusion to this at all.

I don’t get people who say the story is good! I think Satoshi Kon (rip) wasn’t good at world building and character development. He always threw us in the story without proper introduction and you end up not understanding anything! This makes me not care about the story and characters. Absolutely boring. Good art and cover though. It’s nice as a collectible. Other than that, wouldn’t even give it more than 2/10!

Amazing! One of the best manga's I have ever read!

loved itsomewhat politically dense but otherwise intriguing

It's unfinished.

"Seraphim: 266613336" (hereafter referred to as Seraphim, because, really, try saying the full title out loud) is the second of Satoshi Kon's previously unreleased, unfinished manga to be published by Dark Horse Comics, and it's been a long time coming. Of course, one should point out that, strictly speaking, this is a Mamoru Oshii manga, in that he wrote the story and outlined the concept, though I get the sense that most people, particularly Satoshi Kon fans like myself, will be more interested in it for Kon's input.The late anime director released only 3 fully fledged mangas in his time, only one of which ("Tropic of the Sea") was actually finished. His other manga "Opus" was, like "Seraphim" sadly left unfinished, though by comparison, it is "Seraphim" that suffers more for this. While "Opus" was clearly nearing its conclusion upon cancellation (and the Dark Horse Comics version indeed includes a stopgap ending which actually ties up the story neatly, if left on a cliffhanger), "Seraphim" was only just getting into its stride. There is no sense of an impending finale, and just as you starting to get into the world of "Seraphim" the rug is yanked from beneath you and you are left feeling rather bereft of the finale you have been denied.That is the key reason I mark this book as 3 stars, simply because one should know going in that this is essentially half a book, and you will need to be prepared to be left rather unsatisfied with it by its end. That said, what is there is very compelling thanks to the excellent world-building and details art employed by the combined efforts of Oshii and Kon. As if by way of apology, the book also features a very lengthy afterword, detailing the circumstances of manga at the time of "Seraphim's" writing and its world, with some rather in-depth commentary on the state of the manga and anime industries, along with delving into some things that readers may not have noticed (and yes, it does explain the reason behind the number of wings in the title)."Seraphim" is a book that is difficult to judge as is, simply because it's hard to measure one's enjoyment of something that feels so incomplete, unlike the also unfinished "Opus" which managed to feel like it wrapped up well enough, despite being left a little wanting. That said, it's an interesting display of collaboration between two of anime's most interesting directors, in a field that is not really their natural setting. One can see elements brought to the table by both parties (including Oshii's obligatory bloodhound) and on a more meta level, I feel it's enjoyable as a case study into the world of manga and anime. That said, the story we are given is certainly entertaining in its own right, provided you are prepared for an ending that feels very much like an "end of part one" than a "to be concluded".If you're a Kon fan, you've probably laid your hands on this already, eager as I was to snap up every possible fragment of the late director's contribution to this world; if you're looking for an interesting new manga to sink your teeth into, sadly this will be unlikely to satisfy wholly and I would urge you to pick up Kon's "Opus" instead.

The shipping was very quick considering it was coming from America to Ireland. The book was in excellent condition. Very impressed.In regards to the story, though it is an unfinished collaboration, the art is still beautiful and the story is quite interesting.It may not be worth the full retail price, but if you are a fan of Satoshi's, and if you can buy the book second hand I think it is completely worth it.

Amazing manga. Its a pity they never finished it. Worth it nonetheless.

Fan of ghost in the shell and was looking forward to his new work. The story is another dystopian post apocalyptic world stricken by a disease called Seraphim where people literally petrify as their body's transform into that of an angel. As such the number on the cover of the book is what I am assuming to be the amount of the human population that has died from this disease. The WHO is trying to find a cure to it and 2 people and a dog known as magi are escorting a girl back to her village in hopes of curing or finding a cure to this disease. Little unclear as to why, but by the end of the book you get a relatively clear idea as to why. However the book just ends there and the story has not been continued since the original manga ended back in 2006 I believe. Hoping that Oshiii will complete or continue the story to some form of conclusion.

No sé muy bien cómo lo descubrí, pero es una maravilla. Es de esos libros que te entran por los ojos. Para empezar, la portada ya incita a seguir investigando.Se trata de un tomo único de tapa blanda, con algunas páginas a color. El detalle y tonalidad del dibujo tiene un nivel gráfico bastante alto. Mezcla degradado con rayado para dar intensidad al dibujo.Si por casualidad lo descubres, ni lo pienses, seguro que te va a encantar.