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Appleseed Databook
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Title Info
- seen: 1 of 1
- type: manga
- people: Shirow
- grade: flawed
- made: unknown
- Review created: A while ago, i'll revise it eventually.
- mod: none
Lets start with a quote, "The idea of writing books that `explain' a manga usually seems completely heretical to me, and a typical example of rampant commercialism". This is by Shirow himself, from the back of the book, and I have to agree that it matches the feeling I got. The reason for this release is clear however, the comment is dated 1990 and promises the future release of Volume 5, which still remains unreleased. So what is in this book? We have a 40 page new appleseed story, which is good fun, and a bunch of sketches and background notes from shirow himself. There is no finished art, and the text is written in the trademarked shirow ramble. Filling out the book is some comments from a `Hitoshi Hayami' on some things occurring in the manga, but any reasonably observant reader of the original would have seen the images and knows the material being raised. It is just too chaotic, looking like what might occur if you rifled through Shirow's desk and notes, to appeal to the experienced fan and offers little to the appleseed novice. Since the story will probably be part of volume 5 (if it is ever released) it is also of reduced value. Still, I bought it, and I don't regret the purchase, but I could not recommend this material to anyone other than the appleseed fan desperate for more material.
Words by Andrew Shelton, Web by Ticti, Last Compile: Wed Aug 5 12:39:15 WST 2009