Growing up reading Japanese mangas, high school gangster comics have always had their spot amongst boys that had excess energy and lack of educational motivation.
If you recognize titles such as “Rokudenashi Blues” (鐵拳對鋼拳 or 鐵拳之道) then you probably know exactly what am I talking about.
Lately I have been addicted to a new series called “Worst” (極惡王) by Takahashi Hiroshi. The series is derived from the previous gangster manga series called “Crows” (漂丿男子漢) Since it inherits many of the characters from the Crows series, the Worst story starts with 30 plus characters, making it hell-of-a-lot confusing for new readers. And every single one of them is dressed in the latest Japanese gangster fashion with more scars on their face than the singer Seal.
What I love about this comic is the toys. The figurines are becoming instant collectables and selling out like hotcakes (do hotcakes really sell?). A regular gashapon would cost around 10 bux each instead of 3. The tattoo series, which is what I’m going after, runs about 120 bux for 5 figurines. I’ll upload pix as soon as I get those.
Here are some pics from a few fans in Hong Kong.
The guys wrapped in leather are bikers, a group called F.O.T.A. (Front of the Armament).
Here’s the official site for Crows X Worst and other works by Mr. Hiroshi.