Manga Review: 20th Century Boy

The world is always changing, as people live their lives the world changes around them. 20th Century Boy by Naoki Urusawa follows local liquor store owner Kenji Endo as he investigates a mystery that appears to have something to do with the death of a friend from when he was a child and the mysterious Friend rising to power in the current day. It is a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering just what is going to happen next.

Urusawa is a genius when it comes to creating characters, he knows how to balance a massive cast while giving them all enough to do that they still manage to feel unique. But of course, this is necessary because it plays into the narrative of the story. Everyone needs to be well-rounded because anyone of Kenji’s old friends may just be the enigmatic Friend who seems to enacting plans that the group of them made as children.

As those who have read his more popular work Monster will know Urusawa is a master of weaving a complicated mystery that only grows as time goes on and setting this story across nearly fifty years means that he has so much to work with. Without wanting to spoil this allows him to explore how the mystery had affected the lives of characters and how it forces them to drastically shift their trajectories as things become more and more desperate. It is the kind of plot that really could only come from a genius like Urusawa.

If you’ve enjoyed Monster but haven’t checked out any of his other work then 20th Century Boy needs to be on your list, and even if you haven’t read Monster but are just looking for a good psychological thriller then you need to check out this hidden gem!