* i wrote this before i found and read the KangZengBang series, it's about four till five years ago... i want to share about the KangZengBang, but i suggest you to read this one first... :) (some part i just copied from Wikipedia and other sources i had forgot.. :-/ )*
Title : Shaman King
Author : Hiroyuki Takei
Original Publisher : Shueisha
Year of publishing : 1998
English Publisher : Viz Media
Volumes : 32
Related series : Funbari No Uta ( sequel )
Shaman King is the second masterpiece of Hiroyuki Takei. It first published in 1998, and reached the outer Japan about early 2000. Shaman King is a manga ( Japanese for “comic” ) series that separated in 32 volumes. Shaman King also ever serialized in magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. Like all the Japanese popular manga there had been the anime creation of this manga that started in year 2001. But, the story, especially the ending between the manga and the anime is a little different, so I suggest you to read the original story from the manga.
The story is about a lazy slacking boy named Asakura Yoh who is a shaman ( the one who links this world and the other world ). He can use the ability of the spirit by makes himself posessed. With the help of his fiancée, Anna, Yoh is in training for the ultimate shaman sports event: the "Shaman Fight" the once-every-500-years tournament to see who can shape humanity's future and become the Shaman King. But unfortunately for Yoh, every shaman in the world is competing for the same prize. In passing all challenge he is accompanied with his best friend Manta, an ordinary high school boy, whose life was changing since his meeting with Yoh. Firstly, Yoh just had to fight against his enemy. But, line after, he also had to fight against his friends that have the same dream as him, because the Shaman King is one person only. The culminating-point is when Yoh had to face his twin-brother who has a very powerful spirit.
Though, Yoh is the main character, the story is being told by Manta’s side. That is one of many unique points of this comic. Hiroyuki Takei made it in a simple plot of draw, so the readers can easily understand this full of imaginations story. Actually, this manga has variety genre, action, adventure, comedy, romance, supernatural, and many else. It’s because of the unpredictable story. In one book you can read it with laughter, in other you can be touched and cried. That’s why people couldn’t stop reading one series, but always want to continue the next.
The language that the author uses in this manga is quiet simple. Although, it uses many pure Japanese Words, it’s still easy to understand. There are also many meaningful quotes saying by the characters that make the conversation in the story very meaty.
Another point is you can find all of human character gathered here, from the kind, lazy, struggle, fighter, hopeless, until the crazy characters. You can learn how the problem is being faced by different ways and finally, different solutions. Mr. Takei give the story with there is not any evil shaman. So, no people doing wrong! It’s difficult to conclude who’re the good characters and the bad one. But, that’s make the story more interesting!
What I really disappointed is about the ending. They were still in the midst of a gauntlet fighting against the guardians of Shaman Fight winner, Yoh and his friends are forced to stop what they were doing and instead "take a break", allowing them to sleep in the middle of battle then, it’s ended! Totally hanged! Or many people called it a “controversial ending”. I have no idea why the author chose that un-understand-able ending. Manga usually leave you with a well thought of ending, but shaman king were like losing interest towards the end.


