!!-Slight spoilers included-!!
Art: 9.5/10
Let's knock this off first. Urasawa's art isn't breathtakingly amazing. It's simple and straightforward. It wavers between realism and cartoonish, which surprisingly fits the world and his storytelling method perfectly. However, the best aspect of his art style is- emotions. No matter the situation, Uraswa will convey a characters' subtle feelings, be it isolation, depression, anger, or pure joy, through his art alone.
Story: 10/10
I'm gonna keep this short. 20th-century boys starts off with a bang. The air of mystery and suspense hooks the reader immediately. In the first couple of chapters itself, you are introduced to a ton of characters both from the past, present, and the future. There is no plot set-up, back story, or guide, the reader is thrown into this world. A sense of uneasiness creeps up slowly, even though everyone is seemingly happy and leads a normal life. The introduction of the symbol and Friend kicks off the story. What follows is an unending search for the identity of Friend and a plot for his downfall, spanning decades. Where the story shines is in its realism and the indisputable effect it has on the world. The sense of fear and despair that the thought - 'this could really happen' never leaves you till the manga ends. And this feeling won't go away easily, it takes a long time for the characters and for the reader to reach a point where they are no longer bound by the shackles of the world that Friend built.
Characters: 10/10
This is it. The core, heart, and soul of the manga. Right from the get-go, we are introduced to an array of interesting characters. It might be a lot at first, but the constant shift between their past childhood and the present "grown-up" selves provides contrast and depth to these characters. The crux of the story deals with how the cast reacts and is affected by the plans of Friend. Every action they take against him has a massive consequence that defines their life for decades at a time.
Kenji in particular goes through one of the best character arcs ever written in any form of fiction. Seeing him go through his carefree rebellious attitude to realizing his undeniable loss to finding redemption and success through his own way left me in awe. Another character that resonated with me to a great extent was Yoshitsune. His hopelessness and grief of losing his friends were beautifully expressed. His awkward yet resolute leadership proved to be a nice polarity to his character.
Overall: 29.5/30
Despite leaving many plot holes unexplained and dragging on the story for a bit too far, 20th Century Boys ends up as a solid 10/10 reading experience. Urasawa proves once again, that few can even rival his style of storytelling, world-building, and character writing.
