Cromartie High School, Vol. 06

More fun awaits with the hilarious delinquent high schoolers of Cromartie. In this installment, Freddie undergoes a transformation and becomes Pootan. Additionally, Takahashi and his antennae make their debut. Mechazawa also gets re-formatted, but unfortunately, he is taken apart after a bomb scare. To top it all off, an orphan seal becomes the newest honorary student on campus. Indeed, the unpredictable nature of this series keeps readers on the edge of their seats, never quite sure what will happen next.

These stories are brimming with laughter and amusement, offering a guilty pleasure in the world of comedy. Volume 6 continues to deliver engaging plots and humorous author side-notes that add an extra layer of entertainment. If you're a fan of this series, like I am, you won't be disappointed. I'm eagerly looking forward to diving into Volume 7 and seeing what crazy adventures the Cromartie students will embark on next.

I never have the slightest clue about which direction this series is going to take!

It truly baffles me. My sole complaint is that Mechazawa has been diminished to a mere shadow of his former self. He never gets any lines that hold any real significance. It's quite a pity.

Now, I wonder who Mechazawa was in love with anyway? It seems like a mystery that remains unsolved. Maybe it was a lost love, something that slipped away from his grasp.

As the story progresses, I hope there will be some kind of redemption for Mechazawa. I want to see him regain his former glory and have his own meaningful storyline. Only time will tell if this will happen.

In ancient times, Plato's The Republic stood as one of the very first works that vividly represented Socratic logic. Arguments were meticulously formulated, deeply analyzed, and ultimately resolved through a tiered series of perceptive observations and profound insights. The purpose? In part, it was to firmly establish man's crucial role in creating the ideal community.

Philosophy might not be on the roster of Japan's Cromartie High School, but that doesn't stop the students from winging it anyway.

Eiji Nonaka presents a captivating comedy of culture and civics in Cromartie High School, vol. 6. Although the characters portrayed in this manga are delinquents, they still feel bound by the same societal rules that gave birth to both the Yakuza and the elegant tea ceremonies. The students are lawless, yet they have their own unspoken code. And it is precisely this code that gives rise to the bulk of Cromartie's conflict.

Take, for instance, Takehashi-san. Takehashi is the "underground kingpin" of the second-year students at Cromartie High. He takes this throne with the utmost seriousness and represents himself as a defender, fearlessly going "toe-to-toe with the strong" in the face of adversity. He is highly respected and remains so throughout the book - regardless of his rather peculiar penchant for wearing "deely boppers." Prominently placed upon his immaculately-coiffed head (in the style of the classic bōsōzoku hairstyle), the absurdist "alien antennae" become the source of much internal discussion among the students. Their presence is never acknowledged outside the relative "safety" of the students' own circle - especially not to Takehashi himself - though many attempts to discern a purpose through broken logic are made.

Eiji Nonaka actually takes the time to classify "those things" as a character within the Cromartie High School series, along with the gorillas, the Freddie-Mercury-esque student (who may not technically be a student), and the robotic Mechazawa.

There are no real-world sensibilities to Cromartie, but the students treat their life at the infamous school for yankii as if it were the most logical place on Earth.

Volume 6 presents a host of interesting scenarios. It poses the question of "those things" as well as the campy fan-following of the bizarro television program "Pootan" (two men dressed in puffy costumes who engage in such activities as preparing tea and filling out income tax forms). The students also discover a famous seal outside the school gates and discuss how best to deal with it (to which the most obvious solutions to the reader cannot be taken, for reasons that sound clear when explained by protagonist Takashi Kamiyama). Additionally, they dismantle a bomb inexplicably wired to Mechazawa. And every step of the way, the students abide by their own sense of twisted, roundabout logic which, at least at the time, all seems to make sense.

Cromartie High School is a series that is best enjoyed in short doses. Fortunately, each chapter is only a few pages long. Though not entirely self-sustaining, the chapters are written in such a way as to support an extended reading period. One can read one on a daily basis and not really feel "left behind" due to forgotten details. Each chapter contains just enough reflection to remind the reader of what has gone on before. Perhaps such writing is necessary in a world where nothing quite makes sense and (slight) repetition is the norm.

A manga that does not take itself too seriously and yet refuses to allow itself to become "thrown away" in the interim, Cromarite is something that any manga reader should experience in some capacity.

Here is a collection of short stories that center around a group of bumbling teenagers. These teens have a rather unique approach to life. In every dire situation that comes their way, they respond with either complete indifference or childlike naivete. It's quite a sight to behold. Their actions and reactions often lead to comical situations. The jokes in these stories might not hit you right away. They sometimes take a while to develop, but rest assured, they are always funny. You'll find yourself laughing out loud as you follow the adventures of these hapless yet endearing teenagers. Their missteps and misunderstandings create a world of humor that is both relatable and entertaining. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy these short stories filled with the antics of a gang of bumbling teens.