A grand-scale masterpiece of life in a dystopian future, Aegis paints a picture of the love and friendship between orphans Jino and Izare. Having gained independence from Revro, the earth secretly trains an army of boys. Jino and Izare are abandoned to the camp, and Izare silently sacrifices himself to keep his promise to Maria that he'd look after Jino. But Jino escapes the soul-killing cruelty of the camp. With Jino in his heart, Izare remains to become an ultimate weapon. The boy's lives, and the secrets of the mysterious Maria, gradually unravel in this epic Sci-Fi drama.
For Earth, can peace and utopia be won?
JINO
Troubled beyond reconcile, Jino is an ex-member of the elite military organization Aegis. His story begins as an orphan in the very same orphanage as his closest friend: Izare. Drafted into the Aegis organization at a young age, this "boy soldier" learns the cruel realities of war firsthand, and suffers greatly – both emotionally and physically – as a result. Fleeing from Aegis, he tries to begin a normal life under the pseudonym "Jinhyun," but the darkness of his past refuses to allow him any peace, and this tender-hearted boy is thrust into the midst of a chaotic civil war years in the making.
IZARE
Loyal, fierce and strong beyond belief, Izare is truly a force to be reckoned with. Friend and protector of Jino, their relationship has always been a tumultuous one. Torn between a promise made to guard the feeble Jino, and his own desire to cut away the dead weight that constantly drags him down, he is bound by an internal emotional struggle with every step he takes. Within the Aegis organization, Izare quickly rises to the top of the most elite Atra Aegis members, and is a fearsome opponent to all.
LEKIA
A sweet and gentle girl, she befriends Jino and doesn't let go, insisting that their past history is much more than he currently remembers. Her loyalty to him is unwavering, oftentimes bordering on guardianship, but her purity and intent are unquestionable. When the situation takes a turn for the worse, it is Lekia who pulls Jino from the fires of war and tries to save his soul. Jino and Izare aren't the only two with a past that seeks to consume them; Lekia also is haunted and chased by memories and duties that she cannot shake.
JUNIOR
Much like Jino, Junior is much more than he seems. Originally posing as a student at the very same high school Jino seeks solace within, he attempts to befriend Jino and is summarily pushed away. Unhappy with the results of his actions, he mounts an investigation that yields staggering results. Jino becomes his target, and he'll stop at nothing to acquire him.
LEE RAY
Another boy soldier at the camp where Jino and Izare were conscripted, Lee Ray's wise-cracking and light-hearted attitude belies his deviously capable ability on the battlefield. He is eternally kind and faithful to his friends Izare and Jino, and has a genuinely good nature that shows in his kindness to even the civilians he comes across while executing his duties.
"Aegis" is the kind of story that will soon be winning Mahnwa a legion of American fans. The illustrations are beautiful and compelling. The reader is very easily drawn into the world of Jino and Izare. The brutality of their world in the camp is felt very easily, as the story rings true...in our own world of atomic aggression and genocide, of pipe bombs and poison, of the Menendez brothers and cultures where female babies are left in fields to die, the dehumanizing brutality of Aegis feels all too possible. Yet in the face of such misery, we hope and root for the boys, as one escapes to begin a life on the run. The mystery of the American girl who refuses to be turned away by the teenaged Jino has me waiting and wondering what the next chapter will bring. Excellent storytelling and beautiful images...
-Rob Rosenberger, Editor, Aegis
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reviews Avg. rating
(9.9)
fast-paced sci-fi drama.
yousuke
02/09/11 13:11
AEGIS VOLUME 5
REVIEWED BY: SANDRA SCHOLES OF ACTIVE ANIME
Lekia runs from an explosion high above while she runs through the forest for her life.
When a kid tries to jump her, she fights back, not realising Jino is behind her.
Concerned for his wellfare, she asks him if he is alright, as they have endured a lot lately, and Lekia is afraid the enemy may follow them.
When Lekia sees him properly, she does not notice him as Jino, but Jinhyun his undercover name.
Although she is glad to see him and in one piece and with only a few scratches of damage, Jino thinks she has been deliberately following him between planets, and it unnerves him to think he has a possible stalker like her.
In the distance, a male approaches, thinking it is the enemy, when it is only Carlos, who exhaustedly pants to them that he was sorely worried about where they had both got to, as they were away for so long.
Going back into the place, they have some tea and discuss how coincidental their meeting was as well as the fact they keep bumping into one another.
Jino is still in the thought that she is following him and it is no coincidence that she is everywhere he is.
He thinks that if she followed him and there was no ulterior motive for it then she must have interest in him of a more romantic kind, so closing in on her, ready to kiss her, he finds that she is actually now afraid of him.
Jino orders her not to come back to work at the shop and she tells him off for wanting her to give up her position there that she earned from all her hard work.
She says she is not going to give it up, and if he does not want to see her, she says he should be the one who leaves his job there.
Major Ryuan tries to keep everything calm as the space station is suddenly under attack, from an unknown enemy and medics are needed on hand to help them out in this awful time.
There is also the problem of a huge number of asteroids circling the area, and spiraling out of control, threatening to destroy them.
They have to retreat their entire fleet so as not to risk the deaths of all their men, though this proves to be useless as the asteroids are already destroying everything in their wake as their squadrons are getting crushed in the damage it causes.
This is an all out action manga with several side plots. The story of Jino and Lekia is one that is heartwarming as well as comical as he denies any feelings for her, while she really enjoys being around him.
Jinya's artwork is an even mixture of line, texture and chiaroscuro.
The characters expressions vary as to the extremity of the situation, and the chibi parts to their characters are quite something to see.
IN SUMMARY: Fast paced sci-fi adventure with characters who have great meaning.
So is this series still in serialization in Korea or something? Is that why it takes forever for chapters to come out? Or maybe it was canceled? I love this series, but I stopped reading it at volme7 because I was tired of the suspense and lack of updates. ANd I didn't want to be left hanging if it's canceled or something...
I just finished the first volume, but I'm really confused, in a good way! I get bored with all the titles that have overly simplified story lines that you can only half pay attention to and still get. This one is a real challenge to read, but it's rewarding. The author has created this intense and fantastical world that I loved getting lost in. I can't wait to read the rest!
sorry, i don't understand...so maria knew jino from before he was in the orphanage? and they went to the orphanage together? who is jino, exactly??
also, who is lekia? how come she has that mysterious connection to jino? like, how does she know what he's feeling and stuff?
if anyone can answer these questions, it'd be really great. i'm reading it, but it's been so long i can barely remember the storyline. also, a lot of the girls all look the same, it's hard to tell them apart. thanks!
Wow this story is really fun. but yeah they sure are taking their sweet time with the releases. I dont think this is boy love, it's more than friendship but it's def not boy love and i hope it doesn't go that route then i would be really weirded out. The characters are really fascinating, i end up caring for all of them but Izarre takes the cake. well, peace.
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