Heat Guy J

    (Tokyopop, 2005)
™ and © 2003 Chiaki Ogishima

In the metropolis of Jewde, the young Special Services agent Daisuke Aurora makes sure androids stay illegal. Since bullets are precious, his secret weapon is his own bionic co-worker named J. But the upstart Clair Leonelli has become mafia Don and sets to prove no one can stand in his way.

Attacks by murdering machines prove J’s dedication to protecting his partner at all costs, even if Daisuke harbors a grudge against all androids. Luckily for J, Professor Antonia tunes him up with extra TLC, though the office secretary Kyoko wishes Daisuke would pay her the same attention. But, as he strengthens his grip on the throne by defeating other crime families, Leonelli decides that these Heat Guys need to be rubbed out. If Grendel the Steel Giant can’t do the job, then the beast-man Boma may need to.

Adapted from the popular anime, the manga stays true to the style and subject, though it often indulges in over-the-top T&A. The laconic J and brash Daisuke are an odd couple but entertaining, nonetheless.

— Oliver Chin
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