Tuxedo Gin

    (Viz, 2003-2005)
™ and ©1997 Tokihiko Matsuura
Reads right to left; Graphic novel; b&w series

If you’ve wondered how difficult it would be to come in on a manga series without starting with the first issue, I thought I’d pick a couple at random and see long it took me to be brought up to speed.

It helps that Tuxedo Gin couldn’t be simpler or sillier if it tried; it’s Heaven Can Wait if the dead boxer ended up in a penguin’s body. He has to live out the lifespan of a penguin before he gets the chance to return to his own body, a situation that he accepts with fairly good humor. (I suppose being in a culture where reincarnation is a given would smooth out some of the bumps.) And he gets to live with the girl he loves—albeit as her pet.

That’s the set-up, on which hang lots and lots of silly situations of the lowbrow sitcom variety. They work more often than you’d think, thanks to quick pacing and attractive characters.

— S.A. Bennett
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#3

December, 2005
Cover Price: $9.95
1 copy available for $7.99 		Tokihiko MatsuuraTokihiko Matsuura