DNAČ is a sweet, heartbreaking short story of the popular Manga artist and school friend of Toriyama Akira, Katsura Masakazu.
Fitting as it is for the style of the author who is widely known to be able to draw very beautiful, yet realistic looking female characters in manga, to also make them an essential part of this manga. This is combined with his own style of humor and typical teenage trouble.
DNAČ tells the story of the two main characters Junta Momonari, a 16-year old high-school student and Karin Aoi, a 16-year old DNA-manipulator, also known as my first ever legitimate childhood crush, my all-time favourite manga/anime character who will always have a special place in my heart.
If I would ever be allowed to make a sequel to a manga this would be my first choice.
Karin comes from the future, a world where overpopulation is a severe problem, even leading to death penalty if someone actually happens to get more than one child. Now the actual problem is though, with her coming from the future she already knows about a person that was blessed with incredible genes, the "Mega-Playboy DNA". This guy has the power to attract every female person as if its magic. They are bound to fall in love with him and eventually have his children. For a future like the one she comes from, this guy who already had his children with enough of those women and the male descendant also get the Mega-Playboy genes, meant a major problem.
However, as scientifically advanced as her time already is, they have access to the most incredible thing already, it being the method to manipulate the Desoxyribonucleic Acid of a person to systematically change their genetic structure, as well as the power to travel through time.
Now with the task to stop this event from happening (technically an impossible grandfather paradox but that is not the point here and the point of "changing" something in the story really happens in the end and it does not really matter for what the story wants to tell anyway), she gets the so-called "DCM", DNA Control Medicine and is sent back to the past within her time machine.
There she has to observe young Junta Momonari, the one who supposedly becomes the Mega-Playboy.
When she actually contronts him, tells him about the Mega-Playboy and shoots him, she begins to realize that she probably was part of a bootstrap paradox, the only logically consistent time phenomenon, and event cycle that lead to then birth of the Mega-Playboy. And not just that, just like all other woman except Junta's old childhood friend Ami, she also cannot resist the abnormal attraction level of this handsome bastard!
Now there is a lot of stuff going on of course! It being the thing, that apparently now Junta has this weird thing with himself going on. But what could that be? Well! It is very similiar to the Yu-Gi-Oh! series. The Mega-Playboy is an actual second person. The original Junta's consciousness is still linked with the other guy whenever he is active but "Twinkle-Junta", who can behave even more like the Playboy he is in very serious situations, always has the drive. And the problem: He is getting stronger and eventually trying to get rid of the original person! This is such a problem, that later, when hit by another medicine, the Mega-Playboy mind even "mutates" to the Devil Junta who is really and absolutely evil to Junta, while as normal Mega-Playboy he still did his control-thing a bit more subtle and as a friend.
But, geez! This is only one part of the drama! There is Karin, of course, as well! Not only is she attracted magically by Twinkle-Junta, no, she actually begins to actually be attracted and fall in love with the original one, as it has to be! Junta, the guy, who normally cannot even look at nude girls, because he has this weird sickness where he suddenly has to throw up and only his childhood friend Ami is pretty much the only girl he could ever be around with, this Junta! But of course Karin is not alone with this. Junta also very quickly falls in love with her. What about Ami though? The two of them, always arguing as if they were still children! Ami, the one he could always depend on and who seems sidelined now with Junta being interested in Karin and noticing this weird thing with his sudden Junta/Twinkle-Junta changes going on - what could she possibly do?
And so many more questions and twists? The existence of "DNA2", Twinkle-Junta, the counterpart of "DNA1", the original Junta, leads to so many problems and worries. And yet this guy somehow seems to be nice and a real gentleman, to the point that it is thought that maybe he is not even such a bad guy at all. He helps whenever there is trouble but he is the cause of so much trouble as well ...
Photos taken from DNAČ vol. 1, 2, 3, 5; DNAČ originally created by Masakazu Katsura in 1993.
01-02-2017, 10:31 PM
Yubel-Lover
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aulayna
Sailor Moon.
Mostly because the only other anime I've watched to any serious extent beside it is Sword Art Online, which has been... lackluster... from the 2nd arc of the 1st season, onward.
I did enjoy Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works too - but haven't seen any of the movies etc so don't really feel confident enough to pass judgment on it as a whole.
Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works was a good show, but it could have been a lot better. Anyway imo skip the existing movies (but watch those about the Heaven's Feel route that will be released by Ufotable) and take a look at Fate/Zero.
There is also Kara no Kyoukai, which is part of the same universe (and it's awesome, so it should watch it).
01-03-2017, 12:06 PM
Loony BoB
Really tough to say, despite not having watched a huge number of them. I tend to prefer the more realistic stuff (I believe they refer to it as slice of life?) as opposed to the action anime, but then, my mood changes between what I want to watch. So, in no concrete order...
1. Nana - Probably my all-round favourite. It's a bit more adult than most manga and I like that. The characters & dialogue are excellent. Really, really looking forward to the day that the artist gets back into the zone and cracks out the rest of them.
2. Planates - The art style is slightly off-putting and the lead male character isn't a favourite of mine, but the lead female and the surrounding crew were great. I found this really nicely done. I found it really rather superb as a (predominantly) realistic near-future sci-fi story with realistic situations and themes.
3. Attack on Titan - Best action-anime I've seen, probably.
4. Nisekoi / Toradora! - Can't pick which one I prefer, honestly. But for the high school drama kinda stuff, these would be my faves.
5. Samurai Pizza Cats - :shifty:
I've probably only seen about 15 anime series so far, though, so... yeah.
01-03-2017, 01:40 PM
NeoCracker
Due, it's terrible, but I still have a place in my heart for Samurai Pizza Cats. It was one of my first anime.
01-10-2017, 10:52 AM
Cell
Either Berserk or Jojo, but Berserk is currently somewhat behind because christ, what more can they do to Guts?
01-10-2017, 12:55 PM
Yubel-Lover
JoJo and Berserk are both really really good.
(SPOILER) I'm pretty curious to see what is going to happen with Casca now that they've reached the Elf land. And what will Gatsu do after she regains her... welll... mind.
Does anyone read Tower of God?
01-11-2017, 01:06 PM
sharkythesharkdogg
Nothing too crazy or obscure for me.
Manga: Akira, then Ghost in the Shell
Movie: Akira, then Ninja Scroll, then Ghost in the Shell
Series: Neon Genesis Evangelion, then probably something fun like Dominion Tank Police, Gunsmith Cats, Dirty Pair, or Bubble Gum Crisis.
01-11-2017, 01:28 PM
Mr. Carnelian
Anime film: Ghost in the Shell Quite haunting. A fine piece of contemplative cyber-punk.
Anime series: Psycho-Pass
It's the anime Minority Report, basically. What can I say, I like cyber-punk.
Nostalgic favourite: Pokemon
Team Rocket all the way. Best. Role-models. Ever. Jessie is a strong, confident woman, James is a cross-dresser extroadinaire, and Meowth is the King of Sass.
