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What's up guys, it's Kristen from Anime Collective and I'm excited because today we're finally getting some manga content out for you guys
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And we're going to be taking a look inside the Akira 35th Anniversary box set released by Kodansha
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So this box set actually released in two waves and I was bummed out because I wasn't able to pick it up on its first release
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but I was able to finally get it on the second time around and I couldn't be happier because of how awesome it looks
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If you guys are into manga reviews, particularly collector's editions, make sure you hit that subscribe button and that bell notification because I have a lot on pre-order
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and on the way so stay tuned. First we're going to take a look at all the contents inside this box
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set including all the six hardcover volumes with and without their slip covers. We'll also take a
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look at the art book and the patch that come within this box set as well and stick around to the end
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because we're going to be taking a look inside volume one. Let's get into the review. The box set
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itself looks incredible on all sides with the art and graphics and it's one that looks awesome when
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displayed. The 35th Anniversary Manga box set comes with six hardcover volumes of Akira
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which complete the entire series. I'm going to quickly show you what all six look like with and
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without their slipcovers. As you can see on the slipcovers, these volumes closely match the
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overall style and design of the Japanese paperback releases. There's also different art underneath the
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covers so they look incredible with or without them on. Each volume features a different color but they complement each other well and
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look great as a set. I love how vivid they are and they really stand out
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Here's a closer look at the iron-on patch that features the iconic pill design
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And this is the hardcover Acura Club artbook that comes in the set
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Before we take a look inside volume 1, I'm going to flip through this artbook for you guys to show you what it looks like inside
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So this is the Acura Club artbook, which is included in the set and includes over 100
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title-page illustrations created for the original series that were never published. It also features rarely seen alternate art, preliminary drawings, production sketches
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and a variety of Akira posters, advertisements, and products, as well as commentary by Katsuhiro Otomo
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I personally think this is a wonderful companion to the heart covers and a great collective piece
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From what I've seen, this book is pretty costly outside of the box set, so it's a nice addition
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Next I going to take a look inside Volume 1 and talk about what different about these volumes in comparison to other Acura manga releases So first off these volumes feel amazing in hand
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There's an eye, so the binding is flexible, which makes all the panels easy to see and read throughout the volumes, so it does have a great readability
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I love the hardcovers. They are sturdy and high quality. Barnes and Noble also released a hardcover version of Akira, but they only released volume
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one, so you couldn't complete the series like you can with this box set. As mentioned earlier, these look great with and without the slipcovers as you can see
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You get a few color pages when you open up the volumes, and when you first open it up
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you're greeted by these incredible montage pieces which include memorable moments from each volume
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The rest of the book is in black and white, and while I would love it to be in full color
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I still love the look at the pages which are printed on higher quality paper. One of my favorite things about the volumes in this box set though is the fact that they are
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in the original right to left reading format. This is the first time this has been done in an
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English release, so this is something new. Also, unlike its paperback counterparts
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the sound effects aren't translated on the pages because they kept the original hand-drawn
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sound effects by Katsuhiro Otomo. The only sound effects that have been replaced with
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English translation are those that were typed. Some may find this to be a negative, but I
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actually like that they chose to keep these hand-drawn sound effects and kept it more similar to the original releases
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I also forgot to mention that there's a reference guide in the back of the volumes for the
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untranslated sound effects so you can reference that if needed so you can see what those translations are So these are the reference pages As you can see all of the sound effects have been translated and you can definitely reference this if needed
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As I'm flipping through, I do want to talk about the price. While it does come with a higher price tag
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you can get it for $149.99 on Write Stuff right now, and I've put that link down in the description below
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At the time of this video, you can also get all six volumes of Acura in paperback
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for around $121 USD on Rightstuff, which means the box set is only around $28.99 USD more expensive
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And you get the extras, and they come in hardcover, so I actually think this set is a good value for
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its price. I do also want to give a shout out to the film if you have yet to check it out
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because it's far ahead of its time even though it was released back in the 80s, features one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard, and still has a massive impact today on
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everything from the anime and manga industry to streetwear and design. And if you've already
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checked out the movie but have yet to read the manga, I highly recommend it because there's a
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lot more content to dive into. As to whether or not I recommend this box set without a shadow of a
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doubt, in my opinion this is the best way to collect and read Akira that's currently out in the market
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Not only are the hardcover volumes beautiful, but it really does celebrate the series. And there you have it guys, we took a look at all the contents inside the Akira 35th anniversary box
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set. I couldn't be happier that I picked it up. It looks incredible and it really does celebrate
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Acura's iconic history. If you guys also picked up this box set, let me know what you thought of it
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in the comments below. And if you've yet to pick it up, I highly recommend Wright Stuff. They
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currently have the cheapest price for the box set, so definitely check that out if you'd like to
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And as always, if you enjoyed this video, make sure you give it a like and make sure you also
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hit that bell notification and that subscribe button to be notified of all that's coming out
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in the future. I have more manga reviews on the way, and I can't wait to share more with you guys
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Until next time, see you later
