Naoki Urasawa
20th Century Boys

DEDICATED TO MY FRIENDS @[Kotatsu] and @[fuggitivo] (don't worry fuggitivo, I'm not a snitch, I absolutely don't intend to spoil anything!) :)

When we are children, we think little, we only think about having fun, completely carefree, without really thinking about other people's problems. We argue, sometimes we are victims of bullying and those truly unlucky are destined for much worse fates, such as isolation or loneliness. But, in the end, we move on, for better or worse. What we often forget is that our seemingly insignificant actions are often the keystone for building the future.

Through this device, the story of 20th Century Boys unfolds. The title itself wasn't chosen randomly, as it is a nod to a famous song by T-Rex, one of our Urasawa's favorite bands. References to great figures in popular music range from Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Creedence Clearwater Revival, to Janis Joplin. There are also numerous references to popular events from the late '70s. Through a very precise historical framework, Urasawa narrates what is probably one of the most gripping stories ever written in a comic/manga: in 1969, some kids, Kenji, the leader of the pack, Occio, Yoshitsune, Maruo, Saburo, Croakki, Mon-Chan, and the "fighter" (goodness, it makes me laugh ahahahah) Yukiji, form a secret "sect" characterized by a very particular emblem, an eye, with a raised index finger inside. The protagonist Kenji, in his youth, was a very active and exuberant personality, rebellious and at the same time stubborn as a mule, and vowed that they would somehow find a way to withstand imaginary adversities, such as bacteriological weapons, giant robots, and thermonuclear weapons. Normal, you might say, they're just the products of a child's imagination.

In 1997, the protagonists are grown up, and Kenji, after failing to realize his dream of becoming a famous rock star (as he himself said: "By the time I turned 28, I realized I had never become famous" - the phrase isn’t exactly like that, but it's still very impactful and touching), finds himself managing a liquor store with his mother and taking care of Kanna, his niece, left in his care by his sister for initially unknown reasons (I won’t reveal anything, I'm not a bastard). One day, he learns of the death of a friend from the "sect," who, according to official versions, died by suicide. But Kenji knows his friend very well (a daring character), and knows that he would never resort to suicide...

He immediately notices a symbol and warns his childhood friends (now grown up) that most probably the poor "suicide" did not actually commit suicide but rather fell victim to a sect. He also remembers that this was the symbol once used in the sect when they were still carefree children. Someone has appropriated the symbol and is using it for selfish purposes, organizing catastrophic events (present in the "prophecies" announced by the children), passing them off as events prophesied by themselves, presenting to the world as a prophet, a magician, but above all, a "Friend," the savior of humanity...

But who is the Friend? This seems to be the main mystery...

Through skillful narrative twists, the plot of 20th Century Boys unfolds, attempting to reveal every single detail that might be crucial for the plot, and certain events we thought irrelevant and insignificant will be decisive and at the same time necessary for the plot's development. 20th Century Boys is the demonstration of how small details can sometimes be fundamental in changing the course of our existence, an existence decorated with disappointments, sufferings, but also successes and great joys.

20th Century Boys also manages to demonstrate how easily influenced humans can be if one is a good orator and promises salvation to the latter. The Friend will perform almost inexplicable "circus acts," but after a while, you'll immediately understand what lies beneath all these magic tricks. 20th Century Boys is dark, ruthless, cruel, but also has dramatic and often moving elements. I admit myself to having been moved by the stories of the protagonists, so well drawn out that they are real, but above all, human.

The only downside, which does not prevent me from rating it 5 stars out of 5, is the continuation of the plot, which should have ended in about 16 volumes and not extended further. Additionally, the finale doesn't really manage to uncover that single mystery left hanging in the second part.

It is undoubtedly one of Naoki Urasawa's most ambitious and prestigious works, a further confirmation after that immense epic called "Monster," but unlike the previous work, this focuses more on the liveliest and sometimes forgotten memories of our childhood, showing that it's often beneficial to remember the beautiful moments of childhood, trying to remember one's mistakes and fix them.