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venusdoom517's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
thisbookishbee's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this!! Issunboshi is a tale of a young, tiny, man who finds himself thrust into a battle with an oni hellbent on capturing Issunboshi for his spirit to complete a mystical item of which Issunboshi is the fourth and final piece of.
Straight away I got Thumbelina vibes and honestly I could easily see this as a Disney film. Issunboshi reminded me of Flynn Rider. I would definitely buy this book
Straight away I got Thumbelina vibes and honestly I could easily see this as a Disney film. Issunboshi reminded me of Flynn Rider. I would definitely buy this book
manglitter's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I liked it and I won't be surprised if Disney or any animation studio will make a movie based on this book, it might be this year or the next one and I would be happy to watch it.
I liked it so much for its inspiration from the Japanese myths and folklore. Issunboshi is like the idea of Hobbits in Tolkien's the LOTR, that "even the smallest person can change the course of the future" and also that we are not born heroes but we must discover the courage to become one like our six-inch-tall hero here.
I loved the story and the illustrations with all the monsters and the other characters of the book. Really make it as a movie.
I liked it and I won't be surprised if Disney or any animation studio will make a movie based on this book, it might be this year or the next one and I would be happy to watch it.
I liked it so much for its inspiration from the Japanese myths and folklore. Issunboshi is like the idea of Hobbits in Tolkien's the LOTR, that "even the smallest person can change the course of the future" and also that we are not born heroes but we must discover the courage to become one like our six-inch-tall hero here.
I loved the story and the illustrations with all the monsters and the other characters of the book. Really make it as a movie.
whatyoutolkienabout's review against another edition
5.0
I firstly want to thank Oni Press and Netgalley for sending me an E-Arc this book to review. My review is left voluntarily and is completely honest.
Issunboshi is Ryan Lang’s first graphic novel that is a retelling of the Japanese classic folktale of the same name. A western equivalent may be seen as Tom Thumb. The tale deals with a one-inch Samurai, Issunboshi who learns that no one is born a hero but rather the courage is inside us all to become one. Set in feudal Japan where creatures of myth and folklore are very much real, a powerful oni (demon) sets out to reforge the ancient spear and take over the world for the yokai. The only person who can save them is Issunboshi the would-be samurai who appears to hold the final piece of the weapon within him.
Although only 200 pages long Lang manages to create characters that are memorable with a beautiful storyline. One thing I adored about this graphic novel was the art style as well as the story telling. It suited the novel perfectly. It had elements of an almost Disney-esque style but fit perfectly to the story. I also loved the nod to traditional Japanese manga with a full colour cover and the interior pages being greyscale. I felt this added to the overall feeling of ‘old’ and the idea of it being a story passed down from myth and legend.
The other thing I adored was with so short a space we managed to see quite a few yokai from folklore including two of my favourites the tengu and bakeneko! I also loved how Lang did bring a bit of the story to the modern world such as Kenta and Sen who frankly are honestly the best (and historically speaking not to out of the question either).
In short this was the perfect read for me. I couldn’t get enough of it and I will definitely re-read. It’s an easy read and flows beautifully with some tender moments mixed into the action. I will definitely be getting a physical copy as well to add to my collection since I am sure it will look even more stunning then.
Issunboshi is Ryan Lang’s first graphic novel that is a retelling of the Japanese classic folktale of the same name. A western equivalent may be seen as Tom Thumb. The tale deals with a one-inch Samurai, Issunboshi who learns that no one is born a hero but rather the courage is inside us all to become one. Set in feudal Japan where creatures of myth and folklore are very much real, a powerful oni (demon) sets out to reforge the ancient spear and take over the world for the yokai. The only person who can save them is Issunboshi the would-be samurai who appears to hold the final piece of the weapon within him.
Although only 200 pages long Lang manages to create characters that are memorable with a beautiful storyline. One thing I adored about this graphic novel was the art style as well as the story telling. It suited the novel perfectly. It had elements of an almost Disney-esque style but fit perfectly to the story. I also loved the nod to traditional Japanese manga with a full colour cover and the interior pages being greyscale. I felt this added to the overall feeling of ‘old’ and the idea of it being a story passed down from myth and legend.
The other thing I adored was with so short a space we managed to see quite a few yokai from folklore including two of my favourites the tengu and bakeneko! I also loved how Lang did bring a bit of the story to the modern world such as Kenta and Sen who frankly are honestly the best (and historically speaking not to out of the question either).
In short this was the perfect read for me. I couldn’t get enough of it and I will definitely re-read. It’s an easy read and flows beautifully with some tender moments mixed into the action. I will definitely be getting a physical copy as well to add to my collection since I am sure it will look even more stunning then.
victoria_mbk22's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
koplomps's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
johaennsel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
zabcia's review against another edition
3.0
75%
* interesting premise, but the execution felt a little too straightforward/obvious/lackluster
* the cover is so beautifully colored, so it was disappointing that the entirety of the content was black-and-white. I'm sure it was a design choice to reflect the 'oldness' of the fairytale, but it would've benefitted from being rendered in color
* kinda reminds me of Disney's Hercules - I wonder if they got inspiration from the Japanese fairytale when they were making the movie
* interesting premise, but the execution felt a little too straightforward/obvious/lackluster
* the cover is so beautifully colored, so it was disappointing that the entirety of the content was black-and-white. I'm sure it was a design choice to reflect the 'oldness' of the fairytale, but it would've benefitted from being rendered in color
* kinda reminds me of Disney's Hercules - I wonder if they got inspiration from the Japanese fairytale when they were making the movie
angelofmine1974's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:
https://youtu.be/0Vifkwtgg7w
Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/0Vifkwtgg7w
Enjoy!
timgrubbs's review against another edition
5.0
Anyone can be a hero regardless of size…even if you’re only one inch tall…
Issunboshi: A Graphic Novel by Ryan Lang is a wonderful animated retelling of the legend Issun-bōshi, the inch-high samurai.
In a world where wicked oni, kappa, oni, and other foul creatures exist…there is also hope…
As an evil oni king seeks ultimate power, a young man no bigger than a thumb but with strength far beyond those of normal height is called to fight…
Training be warriors committed to stopping the oni, he must fight (and if necessary die) to protect Japan from an evil that threatens to consume it….facing undead, demons, and shapeshifters in the process…
Size doesn’t matter if you have the committment to do what’s right…
The art in here was wonderful. While it was black and white, the art rivals that of a Disney or Don Bluth animated film.
If you like animated films and Japanese legends then I highly recommend this one…
Issunboshi: A Graphic Novel by Ryan Lang is a wonderful animated retelling of the legend Issun-bōshi, the inch-high samurai.
In a world where wicked oni, kappa, oni, and other foul creatures exist…there is also hope…
As an evil oni king seeks ultimate power, a young man no bigger than a thumb but with strength far beyond those of normal height is called to fight…
Training be warriors committed to stopping the oni, he must fight (and if necessary die) to protect Japan from an evil that threatens to consume it….facing undead, demons, and shapeshifters in the process…
Size doesn’t matter if you have the committment to do what’s right…
The art in here was wonderful. While it was black and white, the art rivals that of a Disney or Don Bluth animated film.
If you like animated films and Japanese legends then I highly recommend this one…