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Vol 2 Issue 5
[MANGA REVIEWS]

Metal Guardian FAUST
— by Kenneth Jin-ho Cho

"The unforgettable story of a girl and her robot..." Released under the Viz Manga Heroes banner, METAL GUARDIAN FAUST marks the story of Rushiha Gyokyoji, a girl who's father has created several robots that have activated and are on the hunt for her daughter.
   Led by Angel, who wants Rushiha's body so that she can become human, the robots wreak havoc on Tokyo, chasing after the girl. However, Rushiha's father, president of the Venus Soft corporation and a leading scientist in the field of artificial intelligence, also builds FAUST, a humanoid cyborg who's purpose is to protect Rushiha from Angel. Looking like a cross between Robocop and Ultraman, FAUST is aware of his mission but unaware of his conscience: why he protects Rushiha he does not know. While Angel, a cute robot girl with a huge glossy third eye on her forehead, schemes and drools over Rushiha's body, FAUST struggles with his existence and raison d'etre. Think BLACK MAGIC M-66, XENON, KEY: THE METAL IDOL and any other angsty cyborg series you come up with all rolled up into one.
   Since I am unfamiliar with the original, translation comparisons can't be made. Still, FAUST has some really inane elements. For example, Angel has dubbed all her robots with the names of Santa's reindeer. Why? Because Rushiha's father, creator of Angel, is named Santa. Also, the dialogue is really, really corny at parts:

Donner: You're late, Blitz.
Blitzen: Sorry, buddy. I couldn't settle on an outfit, you know?
Donner: Clothes? Ridiculous.
Blitzen: Hey, clothes make the man... or the robot as the case may be..

Ueyama's art is simplistic and his even and enclosed line art makes for some peculiar looking manga (not that manga can be typified in one general style). The panels lack any real detail, leaving much of the mood and scene to be pushed forward by zipitone and shading. This style may not appeal to a lot of readers. On the positive side, however, the mecha designs are interesting and reminiscent of an earlier (much earlier) Viz manga title, GREY.
   Unless you like collecting translated manga just to simply own it, you may want to steer clear of this title, as there it really has no outstanding elements to recommend it. Wait for a more meaningful Viz title later to be released this year, something like Sadamoto Yoshiyuki's manga version of NEON GENESIS EVANGELION or maybe Takahashi Rumiko's INUYASHA. The "unforgettable" FAUST seems to be anything but.

  METAL GUARDIAN FAUST
Copyright © 1997 Ueyama Tetsuro/ Shogakukan, Inc.
Story and Art by Ueyama Tetsuro
Published by Viz Comics
Monthly black & white translated manga, $2.95 USA/ $4.00 CAN


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