Recently, I've come to question myself about a fundamental truth I once thought I knew all too well; what is "manly"? What constitutes "manly"? I set up some criteria just for this sort of evaluation:
1. Muscles
2. Toughnes
3. Violence
4. Sexuality
5. Language
Not all of these are required to create something manly, but #2 is essential; it's the core concept around any sort of concievable manga that could be considered "manly".
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pride that I say Mad Bull 34 is the most manly manga ever made in the history of the world. It's also incredibly awesome, pulse-pounding and frequently funny; as a product of the 1980's, one can expect outrageous excess from MB34 in every way. First, a summary.
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Mad Bull 34 revolves around days in the life of Italian Officer "Sleepy" John Estes, better known in whispers of the New York underworld as "Mad Bull". Sleepy is the toughest cop in his district, the 34th Precinct of New York, where he enforces order with the open end of his various guns. He tours around the city with his partner, "Daizaburo" Eddie Ban, a new Japanese-American recruit.
On top of being a cop, Sleepy is also one of New York's biggest pimps, and he's known for over-the-top excessive violence in dealing with New York's worst. However, his antics have earned him great admiration among the poor and downtrodden, since Sleepy grew up one of them. His staying popularity has convinced the higher officers in the NYPD to pardon Sleepy's violent tendancies and his prostitution ring.
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When I first saw a sole picture of this series on Yotsuba, I new it would be glorious, and sure enough, it lived up to my expectations. I won't recommend this series for everyone; it's seinen beyond seinen, to the point of making Gantz look family friendly (in fact, this manga was drawn in the same way Gantz was). Watch out for wanton blood, gore, and nudity; it's all comical but it is quite offensive at times.
For your viewing pleasure, here are the last three pages of chapter one; read right-to-left.
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