Imperfect Hero

(ComicsOne, 2004-2005)
™ and © 2003-2004 Gentosha Comics, Inc.
Black and white series; read right to left.

Yuji Midorikawa is the star in this parody about a mostly mundane and unimpressively average high schooler whose secret identity happens to be G-Green of Earth’s Gakusei 5 (a troupe of five battle–suit powered, color–coded teenage protectors). Yuji’s the kind–hearted but cowardly protagonist, and though he’s really got nothing going for him on the team or at school, he somehow manages to both steal the heart of G–Pink (the obligatory and only female member on the team) as well as Gakusei 5’s archenemy Mayura—the scantily–clad, voluptuous queen of Gurdark who’s run away from her legion of obnoxious–aliens–out–to–invade–and–conquer–Earth because Gurdark is simply “too boring.”

Sly references to early sci–fi comedies such as Lum are part of the fun in this comic parody by manga newcomer Nankin Gureko. And Imperfect Hero is a genuinely funny send–up of the world of Japanese sentai: a word that literally translates as “taskforce” but also refers to the genre of cheesy TV shows from Japan featuring a transforming super–hero team à la Power Rangers. Fans of other satiric manga titles like Maniac Road or Excel Saga should feel perfectly at home.

— Shiaw-Ling Lai

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Notes

Writer

Artist

#1

November, 2004
Cover Price: $9.95
1 copy available for $12.99

Nankin Gureko

#2

March, 2005
Cover Price: $9.95
2 copies available from $14.50

Nankin Gureko