Air Gear Manga Volume 1

Overall Rating: B
Synopsis: Air Gear is a shonen manga by Oh! great. The story follows Ikki, who is the toughest kid in his school and the leader of a gang. One night, Ikki bites off more than he can chew when he runs into the Skull Sabers Storm Riders. We're also introduced at this point to the concept of Air Treks, special skates that let the wearer "fly" (it's really more the sensation of flight). Ikki gets his ass kicked, and learns that his "sisters" (three women that Ikki lives with) are the legendary Storm Riders, the Sleeping Forest. They give Ikki his first pair of Air Treks and help him get revenge on the Skull Sabers.

I picked up the manga because it looked interesting. I kept reading because it reminded me of the game Jet Set Radio on the Dreamcast. If you've never played the game, check it out. It may get it's own review someday. Regardless, Air Gear is a pretty fun manga with an interesting concept. If you are in to fan service, there's plenty of that too, but it's pretty gratuitous (fair warning).

All in all, I enjoyed checking out the first volume, and will probably read the second one as well to see how the series holds up. It reads like it could go either way, building on the setting and becoming even better, or falling short and becoming a vehicle for more fan service. Let's hope it's the former. There's nothing wrong with a few panty shots or nude scenes, but I usually like a little plot in my manga.