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Katamari Volume 1
- GenresGraphic Novels
Unknown Binding
First published January 13, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 24, 2022
I can't believe I forgot this masterpiece.
January 5, 2015
*NetGalley book review*
This was interesting. I liked the bright vibrant colors through out the book but it was really hard to read on the computer screen as the type on the book that was scanned in was too small to read in some areas. That was he only draw back, but I just didn't really care for the story.
This was interesting. I liked the bright vibrant colors through out the book but it was really hard to read on the computer screen as the type on the book that was scanned in was too small to read in some areas. That was he only draw back, but I just didn't really care for the story.
July 27, 2017
I'm a huge fan of the Katamari game series and started getting into comics this year, so I decided to give this book a try. The artwork is lively and colorful, and thankfully doesn't attempt to recreate the cubist style of the games, which probably would have looked ugly on the page. The writing, light and whimsical as it is, didn't hold my interest. The King of All Cosmos has a distinct speaking style that is faithfully recreated here in all its passive-aggressive glory, but The Prince and his cousins (apart from Ace, the egotistical sometimes protagonist) aren't much more than archetypes. This is probably a great book for kids, especially if they like the game, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone except the most die-hard fans of the games or web comic.
June 27, 2018
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
September 25, 2018
This was really cool to read, and along with the commentary, we see more of the passion and research the artists put into making the comics.
January 30, 2015
On Netgalley the other day, after checking off I reviewed The Book of Strange New Things, I mosied on over to the Graphic Novels or Comic section or whatever it's called. I don't think I've ever really looked there before, since there is really no point in reading comics on my teeny kobo and I generally can't be bothered to read things on the iPad. So I wasn't expecting much, but then: A Katamari comic!
Even better, a Katamari comic that I didn't even have to request. It was free free free to anyone who wanted it. You better bet I was going to roll that comic up into my life.
(For those unfamiliar with Katamari Damacy, it's a series of Japanese video games in which one is a diminutive green prince with a sticky rolling ball that collects objects on Earth under the watchful eye and abusive tones of his gigantic king father. It's quite Japanese and beneficial to play prior to visiting any place in urban Japan. I'm pretty sure the only thing that got me through my first two jetlagged days of Tokyo was pointing out, ad nauseum to Geoff and Lydia, objects that I had, at one point, rolled up in a Katamari game.)
The book brings together a collection of webcomics, a few story arcs, and a few one-offs (including flow charts on whether or not you are trying to roll things up with a Katamari or a blueberry). The stories are cute and very much in the style of the Katamari universe. There is the king, a cameo by the queen, many cousins, Michiru (the little girl who is always talking about feeling the cosmos in the first game), Jumboman, cutie animals, they're all there. The colours are as vibrant and the corners, metaphorically and literally speaking, are as cutely rounded as they are in the game. Comics are a logical step to continue the Katamari universe; I can only imagine the sheer number of adjectives necessary to write a Katamari novel. There is a lot of detail in the panels, most of which I overlooked until I read the creators' commentary; the book is structured a bit like a "director's cut" with Culang and Castro writing little blurbs on most pages about the story or what is hidden in the panels. Generally, I don't read comics correctly as I only ever read the text bubbles and never give the pictures more than a peripheral glance, so having reminders to actually look and see what is happening is helpful to text-intensive lovers like me.
The commentary, however, ends up a double-edged sword. One joy of Katamari is how genderless it can feel. There are a slew of male characters, but, outside the story line, the game is not testosterone-driven, angry, or violent (other than the cops that shoot at your Katamari and a few Hey's, no one quite seems to mind being rolled up). It's just a colourful, fun, way to spend a few hours. But the commentary of the creators lends a definite lad feel to the whole comic, likely not in an intentional or an exclusionary way, but there's definitely a more masculine feel to the comic than to the series. While there are some girl cousins chosen to go on the adventures (Daisy and June in particular) and Michiru is around, I still get the default to male feel, i.e. that anything that isn't specifically gendered is masculine. Then, once I started thinking that, I couldn't stop. Then not even the colours of a Royal Rainbow could cheer me up.
As for reading it on my iPad, not a fan. I have one other comic I got to read on my iPad, and then I think I'm done. The font is too small for my firmly-ensconced-in-my-thirties eyeballs, and it's a hassle to have to keep zooming in and then zooming back out to turn the pages. It would seem that an iPad is a perfect container for comics, but maybe the ratios just aren't right yet, or trying to smush a webcomic meant to be read on a big monitor into a tiny one is beyond the capabilities of current aesthetic technology. I think this book deserves to be big and glossy and coffee-table size for optimal viewing.
Still, KA-TA-MA-RI!
Katamari Volume One by Alex Culang and Raynato Castro went on sale January 2, 2015.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Even better, a Katamari comic that I didn't even have to request. It was free free free to anyone who wanted it. You better bet I was going to roll that comic up into my life.
(For those unfamiliar with Katamari Damacy, it's a series of Japanese video games in which one is a diminutive green prince with a sticky rolling ball that collects objects on Earth under the watchful eye and abusive tones of his gigantic king father. It's quite Japanese and beneficial to play prior to visiting any place in urban Japan. I'm pretty sure the only thing that got me through my first two jetlagged days of Tokyo was pointing out, ad nauseum to Geoff and Lydia, objects that I had, at one point, rolled up in a Katamari game.)
The book brings together a collection of webcomics, a few story arcs, and a few one-offs (including flow charts on whether or not you are trying to roll things up with a Katamari or a blueberry). The stories are cute and very much in the style of the Katamari universe. There is the king, a cameo by the queen, many cousins, Michiru (the little girl who is always talking about feeling the cosmos in the first game), Jumboman, cutie animals, they're all there. The colours are as vibrant and the corners, metaphorically and literally speaking, are as cutely rounded as they are in the game. Comics are a logical step to continue the Katamari universe; I can only imagine the sheer number of adjectives necessary to write a Katamari novel. There is a lot of detail in the panels, most of which I overlooked until I read the creators' commentary; the book is structured a bit like a "director's cut" with Culang and Castro writing little blurbs on most pages about the story or what is hidden in the panels. Generally, I don't read comics correctly as I only ever read the text bubbles and never give the pictures more than a peripheral glance, so having reminders to actually look and see what is happening is helpful to text-intensive lovers like me.
The commentary, however, ends up a double-edged sword. One joy of Katamari is how genderless it can feel. There are a slew of male characters, but, outside the story line, the game is not testosterone-driven, angry, or violent (other than the cops that shoot at your Katamari and a few Hey's, no one quite seems to mind being rolled up). It's just a colourful, fun, way to spend a few hours. But the commentary of the creators lends a definite lad feel to the whole comic, likely not in an intentional or an exclusionary way, but there's definitely a more masculine feel to the comic than to the series. While there are some girl cousins chosen to go on the adventures (Daisy and June in particular) and Michiru is around, I still get the default to male feel, i.e. that anything that isn't specifically gendered is masculine. Then, once I started thinking that, I couldn't stop. Then not even the colours of a Royal Rainbow could cheer me up.
As for reading it on my iPad, not a fan. I have one other comic I got to read on my iPad, and then I think I'm done. The font is too small for my firmly-ensconced-in-my-thirties eyeballs, and it's a hassle to have to keep zooming in and then zooming back out to turn the pages. It would seem that an iPad is a perfect container for comics, but maybe the ratios just aren't right yet, or trying to smush a webcomic meant to be read on a big monitor into a tiny one is beyond the capabilities of current aesthetic technology. I think this book deserves to be big and glossy and coffee-table size for optimal viewing.
Still, KA-TA-MA-RI!
Katamari Volume One by Alex Culang and Raynato Castro went on sale January 2, 2015.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 20, 2015
'Katamari Volume 1' is a series of web-comics that are based on the Katamari Damacy video game and its sequels. I am familiar with the games, but I've never played them. The game seems to be played by rolling a kind of sticky ball around and gathering things up to make the ball larger and larger.
It has it's fans, so the originating game company, Bandai Namco, decided to publish them under their ShiftyLook project. The book starts with an introduction by Ash Paulsen of Udon Entertainment, who was also Shiftylook's Comics Editor. There is also a brief introduction to the world of Katamari before the comics begin.
Each comic is printed with the original date it showed up online as well as a short commentary by the creators. I usually don't like running commentary, but since these webcomics run like Sunday comic strips, the breaks weren't too intrusive. Characters from the games show up, and mostly act like they do in the game. The prince doesn't talk in the game, but he does here, but for gag effect, I think it's necessary. Most of cousins show up at some point: rival Ace, powerful Macho, accident prone Opeo and others. They have adventures like stopping UFO abductions, rescuing color from black holes and saving the future. In between there are shorter one-off gags.
It's drawn well and has great colors. It's age appropriate for just about anyone. The stories are cute and make me want to explore this game more.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Udon Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this fun graphic novel.
It has it's fans, so the originating game company, Bandai Namco, decided to publish them under their ShiftyLook project. The book starts with an introduction by Ash Paulsen of Udon Entertainment, who was also Shiftylook's Comics Editor. There is also a brief introduction to the world of Katamari before the comics begin.
Each comic is printed with the original date it showed up online as well as a short commentary by the creators. I usually don't like running commentary, but since these webcomics run like Sunday comic strips, the breaks weren't too intrusive. Characters from the games show up, and mostly act like they do in the game. The prince doesn't talk in the game, but he does here, but for gag effect, I think it's necessary. Most of cousins show up at some point: rival Ace, powerful Macho, accident prone Opeo and others. They have adventures like stopping UFO abductions, rescuing color from black holes and saving the future. In between there are shorter one-off gags.
It's drawn well and has great colors. It's age appropriate for just about anyone. The stories are cute and make me want to explore this game more.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Udon Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this fun graphic novel.
March 31, 2015
This cute cover attracted me and I'm so glad I read Katamari. There are some introductory pages explaining that this originally appeared as a webcomic back in the day based on a video game series mostly for the Playstation systems. I'd never heard of the game before let alone played it however this book version of the comic strip has running commentary by both the author and illustrator which clues the reader into so much information about the games, the comic and the making of, which makes the fun comic even more delightful to read. There are several large story arcs included in the volume and interspersed in between either one-shots or just 2-3 page arcs. All the arcs are independent stories but they do build upon each other so while the book has no overreaching plot it does have a cohesiveness that pulls it together well. I love the characters; they are adorable and the art is cartoony excellence. The stories range from saving the world from doom to pointless comedy one-shots providing a wide range of topics that keeps the stories fresh and never dull. I'm quite impressed as the book ended up being much more than my initial impressions, keeping a running theme of the value of friendship throughout. Appropriate for all ages.
January 6, 2015
Received from Netgalley in exchange from a review:
I loved the Katamari games, though I admit it has been a while since I played any of them, they still have such a beloved place in my heart. This comic is a fun little foray into the world of Katamari, though it is super weird to see the Prince and the Cousins talking...though having a comic about them and very little dialog could be hard, though doable. I am still very much on the fence on how I feel about that, on the one hand I feel like the voices match and they have distinct personalities, but it is just so weird.
The stories being told are quite cute and fun, it is great to see so many references to the game, however I did find all the notes from the creators on each page distracting. I would have rather had a page between story arcs with a collection of notes rather than it disrupting each page.
So the comic as a whole I really enjoyed, the formatting I could live without though.
I loved the Katamari games, though I admit it has been a while since I played any of them, they still have such a beloved place in my heart. This comic is a fun little foray into the world of Katamari, though it is super weird to see the Prince and the Cousins talking...though having a comic about them and very little dialog could be hard, though doable. I am still very much on the fence on how I feel about that, on the one hand I feel like the voices match and they have distinct personalities, but it is just so weird.
The stories being told are quite cute and fun, it is great to see so many references to the game, however I did find all the notes from the creators on each page distracting. I would have rather had a page between story arcs with a collection of notes rather than it disrupting each page.
So the comic as a whole I really enjoyed, the formatting I could live without though.
January 16, 2020
Katamari Vol. 1 injects situational gamer humor and in some places, deeper philosophical morals. It delves into the motives and personalities of the main characters while maintaining the essence and feel of the game franchise, despite developing a different art style.
It also offers exclusive commentary about the creation process from the creators. Alex, who likes to ponder the emotional side of things; and Ray, the goofy counterpart who frequently expresses his obsession for Ace.
There are also a couple pages with sketched panels as well as a section at the end including bonus art from promotional material to exclusive prints.
Please note, I received a free ARC in exchange for a review. The review contains my honest, uninfluenced opinion and I was not compensated in any way for a positive review.
It also offers exclusive commentary about the creation process from the creators. Alex, who likes to ponder the emotional side of things; and Ray, the goofy counterpart who frequently expresses his obsession for Ace.
There are also a couple pages with sketched panels as well as a section at the end including bonus art from promotional material to exclusive prints.
Please note, I received a free ARC in exchange for a review. The review contains my honest, uninfluenced opinion and I was not compensated in any way for a positive review.
January 18, 2015
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am a huge Katamari fan. I have been meaning to read the series of Katamari webcomics, and I was thrilled when I saw that Udon Entertainment had brought them all together in a collection.
The comics don't quite capture the wonderful atmosphere of the game (likely because of the focus on the Prince and the cousins) but it does get close. The King and Robo-King are delightful, and it does help to satisfy my desire for more things Katamari.
The commentary on almost every page is a bit distracting - I would be more interested to read it collected in an essay at the end of the story.
I am a huge Katamari fan. I have been meaning to read the series of Katamari webcomics, and I was thrilled when I saw that Udon Entertainment had brought them all together in a collection.
The comics don't quite capture the wonderful atmosphere of the game (likely because of the focus on the Prince and the cousins) but it does get close. The King and Robo-King are delightful, and it does help to satisfy my desire for more things Katamari.
The commentary on almost every page is a bit distracting - I would be more interested to read it collected in an essay at the end of the story.
February 10, 2017
Surprisingly fun!
January 7, 2015
Crazy but totally funny and hilarious, the illustrations are exactly what the authors need to convey the message and their comments in the end of the page are so cool!
Una follia di fumetto, ma molto divertente e le immagini scelte sono assolutamente adeguate alla storia e al messaggio che volevano mandare gli autori, i cui commenti a fondo pagina sono fighissimi.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIBUTORS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Una follia di fumetto, ma molto divertente e le immagini scelte sono assolutamente adeguate alla storia e al messaggio che volevano mandare gli autori, i cui commenti a fondo pagina sono fighissimi.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIBUTORS FOR THE PREVIEW!
January 24, 2015
Received from Netgalley in exchange from a review:
I loved this so much that I am going to buy it! Beautiful artwork and very, very funny. I was a touch dubious at first as the author and illustrator's running commentary was a new thing for me - BUT it worked fantastically. It made me appreciate the illustrations more and has has made me want to play the games. Opeo is the coolest little dude ever!!
I loved this so much that I am going to buy it! Beautiful artwork and very, very funny. I was a touch dubious at first as the author and illustrator's running commentary was a new thing for me - BUT it worked fantastically. It made me appreciate the illustrations more and has has made me want to play the games. Opeo is the coolest little dude ever!!
September 21, 2015
Cute little read for folks who LOVE the Katamari brand. That is all.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews