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Reviewed by Lori Henderson Time is running out for Teppei and Foh – Hokuto has ten minutes to outsmart the genius Dr. Poe if he wants to save his friends before they are banished to an alternate dimension. Matters grow worse when Max is assaulted by a computer virus that threatens to delete all his programming. Teppei and his friends are nearing the end of their long journey, but how many of them will survive to see the final point? Time may be running out, but this series ran out of steam some time ago. Following the same format as the last 10 other volumes, it’s another fight at another checkpoint. Hokuto and Dr. Poe, long time rivals, go at it like the two geeks from Bring Me the Head of Boba Fett, but with mathematical formulae. With all the attention put on the brain battle, Teppei and Foh are forgotten, but they still miraculously escape without Hokuto’s help. This leads into a very anti-climactic ending as they reach the final checkpoint. This series started out with a lot of promise, but then quickly degenerated into a clone of its older brother Saint Seiya. From characters to plot, there isn’t much in here that doesn’t resemble the previous series, and that really hurts B’TX, making it seem old and tired. It’s not that this series is badly done. Outside of the main characters, most of the others we encounter - the guardians and Demon Generals that guard the checkpoints - all have very real reasons for their wanting to be a part of the Machine Empire, and do get a bit of fleshing out, even if we don’t see it until they are dying. Very few of the characters are fighting just for the sake of fighting, and you even do feel a little sorry for them as they are used and betrayed by the Machine Empire. Kurumada does come up with some interesting characters, including the B’Ts, but the checkpoint battles become so formulaic that it takes away some of the emotional impact. The art is clean with bold, dark lines that some people will probably consider outdated, but works well for this action series. The B’Ts are detailed and shaded to keep their metallic look. B’TX is an okay action series, but its blatant recycling from the mangaka’s previous series really takes away from the impact this series should be making. This series should only be read by die-hard Kurumada fans, or if you’re completely unfamiliar with Saint Seiya. You will enjoy it much more. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 September 2010
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