Short Cuts, Vol. 1 (1) Paperback – July 8, 2002

One of the funniest mangas I've read, this author seems to be ticked off and fascinated by Japan's fascination with teenage girls, and he ridiculous both the perverts and teens in equal fashion

Comes different than typical manga style as it reads left to right and the whole mailing process done with it is different than usual. Good story as usual by Usamaru Furuya!

Hilarious collection of short stories and vignettes. Will have you laughing out loud

Volumes 1 and 2 are short stories. Wish there were more. Engaging and the art is _better_ than the covers. Usually, it is the other way around.

I can not believe how hilarious this book is. It's full of one to two page short stories, kinda like the weekly funnies in American Newspapers. They all basically focus on "cute high school girls" or ko-gals, which as the writer says seem to dominate japanese society, think of all the anime and manga focused on teenage females.All I can say is these are some of the raunchiest, most perverted, and sick jokes I've ever read. So in other words HILARIOUS. This is definately a 16 and up age requirement. No if ands or buts about it. These jokes are just too perverted for anyone younger.A thing to keep in mind, while many of the jokes are universal, many are not. There are quite a few cultural references that only japanese people would understand and you're left thinking "What? I don't get it." Thankfully, though I didn't realize it till I was halfway through the book, there is a summary guide in the back that pretty much explains all the hard to understand ones. After you read it and then read that particular story again later, it does become very humorous. :DThis is a great read for all us sickos out there that like reading this kinda thing. The art is a bit different from other manga, no big sparkly eyes, and that actually turned a few of my friends away from it before they even read any of it!! That's crazy. It is drawn very nicely though in my opinion, almost like Junji Ito's Uzumaki. Anyway get this book and you won't regret it. ^.^

The premise behind Short Cuts is simple: gag stories that last a page or two, collected in a group of about one hundred. This simple set up never gets old or repetitive, however; Short Cuts can be at times mind-boggling, hilarious, subversive, puerile, cynical, thought-provoking, eye-opening, and sexy. The humor here, even with the language barrier to separate Japanese and English readers, almost always hits the mark if you have a taste for the absurd. However, Short Cuts, while childishly funny in some instances, can also cast a stark light on not only Japanese society, but human society at large. In one of the later Short Cuts, Usamaru, in the span of two pages, weaves a poignant tale about a woman trapped in a birdcage, yearning for her freedom as she watches the apathy of her bird captors day after day. In this comic, it's never revealed whether her dream of human society is just a dream or whether she's simply mentally unsound, desperate to spread a message about the value of liberty for all mankind.And sometimes, there are sex jokes.

Ko-gal fun! Way funnier than you think.

Usamaru Furuya ist in Deutschland ja eher für ernstere Seinen Titel bekannt (Der Selbstmordclub, Chronicles of the Clueless Age, Tokyo Inferno). Short Cuts steht dazu eher konträr. Hier wird keine zusammenhängende Story erzählt, sondern es gibt kurze Episoden, die jeweils 1-2 Seiten umfassen. Das Thema von Short Cuts sind sogenannte Ko Gals, eine spezielle Subkultur japanischer Oberschülerinnen. Furuya experimentiert mit verschiedenen Zeichenstilen, bringt popkulturelle Zitate, taucht selbst ein paar mal auf und analysiert die japanische Gesellschaft. Die englische Übersetzung ist verständlich und ich denke auch recht gewissenhaft. Wortwitze, die in der Übersetzung hätten verloren gehen können oder Dinge, die dem westlichen Leser nicht zwingend bekannt sind, werden auf den letzten Seiten aufgeschlüsselt. Dort findet sich auch noch ein 8seitiges Interview mit dem Zeichner. Die ersten 6 Seiten des bandes sind übrigens in Farbe.Leute die Furuya schätzen, oder einfach mal kurze Gag-mangas für zwischendurch suchen, sind hiermit gut bedient.

Si vous aimez vraiment vraiment les histoires courtes -et folles- avec des messages cachés, ce livre est pour vous.Aucune similitude avec "Le cercle du suicide" (2005) & il est vraiment plus rayonnant que Palepoli (2012).HILARANT, DÉVIANT...mais MIGNON !!!Non édité en français (acheté en anglais), il est très facile à lire & à comprendre.Toutefois, Il y a des explications à la fin du livre qui vous permettront de revenir sur certaines "énigmes".Il y a également un entretien avec Usamaru Furuya. ;)Age recommandé: + 16 ans.If you like really really crazy short stories with hidden messages, this book is for you.No similarity to "The Circle of suicide" (2005) & it is more radiant than Palepoli (2012).DEVIANT, HILARIOUS...but CUTE !!!Not published in French (bought in English), it is very easy to read & understand.However, there is an explanation at the end of the book that you will return to some "puzzles".There is also an interview with Usumaru Furuya. ;)Recommended age: + 16.