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Beck
by Chronium on March 3, 2005, 10:53pm - 20 years ago

Rating - 10.0 / 10.0
Series Image
starstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstarstar

rating of this review - 3 out of 5
Story/Plot - 5 out of 5
Characters - 5 out of 5
Drawing Style - 5 out of 5
Enjoyment - 5 out of 5
Overall - 5 out of 5

Plot/Story 1fl2d

Rock was something Koyuki had never given thought to. Often, he resorted to j-pop to calm his frustrations. When he was reunited with his friend from middle school, everything unfolds. He starts listening to Dying breed and Maho-san, his crush, soon finds his talent for singing. When he s a band, Beck, the face of rock is renewed. But will the band hold together?

Characters

Tanaka Yukio (Koyuki)

Life has always been the same; bland and boring for Tanaka Yukio (referred to as Koyuki). With everyday being the same old thing, Koyuki pondered the very question: How long is this boring, everyday life going to last? Everything was the same until the fateful day where he ran into a bunch of young kids picking on a bizarre-looking dog named Beck. Incapable of just letting the dog get picked on, Koyuki had helped Beck out, but later found himself climbing a pole, trying to run away from the dog. From there, Koyuki is saved and then thanked by the dog's owner, an English-speaking guitarist named Minami Ryuusuke. Later that same day, Koyuki found himself being saved by Ryuusuke once again, and just like that, Koyuki knew that his bland life would take a 180 degrees turn.

Ever since the day Koyuki met Ryuusuke, he had visited his house often and the two came to be friends. From there, Koyuki discovered that the guitarist was once part of the now seperated band, Serial Mama. Not only that, Ryuusuke was on a path to form a new band and rise to the top. As each day ed, Koyuki somehow got mixed up into Ryuusuke's musical life and Koyuki found himself listening to more and more rock.

The once bland and boring life was now, a life with more flavor... a life that was part of a newly formed band. This band was known as BECK, named after Ryuusuke's strange dog. As Koyuki takes the role as both a guitarist and a vocalist (for certain songs), each day is new, and together with the rest of the band , Koyuki aims for the top: hitting it big with the band called BECK.

Minami Ryuusuke

He is the guitarist that is capable of speaking both Japanese and English. The owner of Beck and the very person who had changed Koyuki's life into a life with more flavor.

He was once one of the leaders and guitarists for the band known as Serial Mama. Yet, since the band's two leaders (Ryuusuke and another guitarist named Eiji) constantly had disputes, the band had broken up and both Ryuusuke and Eiji had taken their own path. With both guitarists having the same goal in mind, to form a new band and rise to the top, each began to seek for guys with talent.

Growing up in a bad neighborhood, Ryuusuke was never afraid to take on even the buffest of guys. Determined, a bit mysterious and relaxed, Ryuusuke ends up becoming friends with Koyuki (after saving him) and somehow, pulls the young boy into his life. Later, Ryuusuke decides to let Koyuki and his school friend Saku his newly formed band, BECK (named after his dog).

As he unites with Chiba, Taira, Koyuki and Saku, the five mix their talents together to form beats that no other can match up to... to form a band that reaches for fame - the band known as BECK.

Chiba

Chiba acts as the vocalist for Ryuusuke's newly formed band known as BECK. Loud, obnoxious, rude, and ill-tempered, Chiba is someone one wouldn't think of having in their band, or even as a friend, but ignoring all those bad qualities, Chiba isn't such a bad person.

Like Koyuki, Chiba was always bullied when he was young, and due to this, had he taken up karate. From the many years of taking up karate, Chiba is capable of not only defending himself against the strongest of guys, but can also beat up those that stand in his way. Through this fighting skill and his kind heart, Chiba helps Koyuki when the young boy is being beaten up by the most feared bully of Koyuki's school (now graduated).

Though he starts off on bad with Ryuusuke, Chiba ends up accepting the English-speaking guitarist and is the first to the band. Together with the others, Chiba plans to hit it big with BECK.

Taira

A talented guitarist whom both Ryuusuke and his enemy rival, Eiji, wanted to have in their own newly formed bands. More of the silent-type, not much is known about Taira as he does not speak a lot, unless it is to give his opinion on a certain issue.

Upon the recruitment of Koyuki and Saku into BECK, Taira had doubts about whether or not it was a good idea to have the two in, but had his mind changed after hearing Saku play the drums, and Koyuki sing, as well as play the guitar. As he believes and puts trust in Ryuusuke to make the right decisions, Taira goes with the flow of the band, helping the band out with it's rise to the top, with his marvelous guitar-playing skill.

Together with Ryuusuke, Chiba, Koyuki, and Saku, Taira hopes to hit it big with the band he found to believe in, the band known as BECK.

Sakurai Yuuji (Saku)

Closest school friend to Koyuki, Sakurai Yuuji (referred to as Saku) of Class 3-2 had first met Koyuki upon confronting him after school one day. Being a new transfer student to East Ihara Middle School (the school Koyuki attends), Saku had little knowledge of how Koyuki was hated by the biggest bully in the school, and was later picked on by the Hyoudou Squad (the bully's gang ). Yet, even though he was beaten up for hanging around Koyuki, this did not prevent him from continuing, and because of that, both Koyuki and Saku practically became best friends.

Like Koyuki, Saku shares the same interest in the rock band known as DyBre, and together, the two share talks about them. Later, Saku gets to meet Ryuusuke and the group and along with Koyuki, ends up ing the newly formed band. He takes the role as the drummer, as he was influenced to play the drums at the age of 7 by his older brother.

With an extroadinary talent for playing the drums, Saku is also one with great knowledge when it comes to music. Though he is not too confident, he has a good heart and together with Ryuusuke, Koyuki, Chiba, and Taira, he aims high, determined to hit it big with the band BECK.

Minami Maho

She is Minami Ryuusuke's younger sister, and is also capable of speaking English. Known to be a good singer, Maho first encounters Koyuki in a restaurant, and somehow ends up getting a bad impression of the young boy, as she storms off cussing him off. Later, Maho and Koyuki get things settled and soon get to know each other. As each day goes by, the two get closer and closer, even to the point where it can be presumed that they like each other (which is possible to be the case).

She is outgoing, spontaneous and friendly at times. Maho stands by Koyuki's side during hard times, trying to cheer him up or help him out when life is not going too well. ing the band with everything in her like everyone else in BECK, she hopes for the band to rise to the top.

Saitou Ken'ichi

He is a perverted middle-aged man that runs a company known as Saitou's Printing - a place for bag-packing products. Though he may be perverted, Saitou is a man with a kind heart and was the very person that aided Koyuki during times of hardship. From providing private swimming lessons to helping Koyuki learn how to play the guitar properly, Saitou could almost be seen as a fatherly figure towards Koyuki.

A bit obnoxious and loud at times, Saitou is one who prefers beats of the old British bands (eg: The Beatles, Yard Birds, The Rolling Stones, and Rocket Boys). With his kindness, respect, and skill in many things, Saitou is willing to help Koyuki anytime and is constantly trying to get close with any attractive girl.

Drawing Style

I dont realy know what to say about the drawing style. I usualy dont care about that kind of thing so I have never developed an opinion for it.

Enjoyment

Beck is one of the most enjoyable manga you will ever read. You will be bored within the first 10 chapters, aproximately, but once you that point you will become so addicted that you will keep on reading until you reach the end.


 

Comments
 avatar
review?  
by takitogr
16 years ago
Rating: 1.0  / 5.0

thats not a review...its a shame that this poses as a review...this is a decription!! and it doesnt say anything about the manga itself or what he thought of it rather than describing what happens and who's who

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yepp  
by sw
20 years ago
Rating: 3.0  / 5.0

yupp, i also think so - taira also plays shirtless. the omake was cool. and i think the instruments harold uses in his story are really kick-ass... i mean, he could have used such gay guitars like the BC Rich or Jackson but he used the cool ones (i myself have a Strat and going to get a Les Paul Standard Ebony soon. a jazzmaster is next). and also the bass that taira used... i'm sure glad it's not a Warwick or something...
as for the amps they used - well, let's say i'm not a big fan of Marshall - besides, a Les Paul sounds best with an ENGL Tuba Amp or a VOX. Or a self-built one 😉 (like i have).

man, i sure talk much if it's about instruments...
anyway, the fact that the guitars are computer animated rules. unfortunately, the naime has only 26 episodes... but i'll buy the manga anyway (volume 1 is out now in austria).
well then, baibai

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Nice :D  
by Coriolis
20 years ago
Rating: 5.0  / 5.0

I love BECK myself, and I believe Taira was based off Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Harold Sakuishi is a huge fan of them(read the omake about meeting the RH). They both use two fingers when playing the bass!

 avatar
one small thing  
by sw
20 years ago
Rating: 3.0  / 5.0

taira isn't a guitarist. he's a bassist

he uses a MusicMan Sting Ray bass

and small thing to add to chiba: he was always bullyed when he was young up to the point where he wanted to commit suicide. the thing that kept him from doinng it was a band named generation 69

that's about it.
apart of this, great review

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