''Hikkatsu! Strike a Blow to Vivify'', known simply as in Japan, is a Japanese '' shōnen''

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

manga series written and illustrated by

Yu Yagami is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for the manga ''Those Who Hunt Elves'', which was adapted as an anime series. His works ''Those Who Hunt Elves'', '' Dokkoida?!'', '' Go West!'', and '' Hikkatsu! Strike a Blow to Vivify'' have been ...

. It was published in Japan by MediaWorks in the monthly

manga magazine Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is used ...

Dengeki Comic Gao! , also known as ''Dengeki Gao!'' was a Japanese shōnen manga magazine that primarily contained manga and information about series featuring bishōjo characters. It was published from December 1992 to February 2008 by MediaWorks. The ''Gao'' in ...

'' from May 27, 2005 to May 27, 2006 and collected in three bound volumes. It was licensed in North America by

Go! Comi Go! Comi was the publishing imprint of the American multimedia company, Go! Media Entertainment, LLC, established to "specializ(e) in publishing Japanese comics for the American market, and in creating new manga and manga-oriented properties for b ...

, with all three volumes released.

Story

In a future where geomagnetic abnormalities have made everyday

home appliances A home appliance, also referred to as a domestic appliance, an electric appliance or a household appliance, is a machine which assists in household functions such as cooking, cleaning and food preservation. Appliances are divided into three ...

come alive, karate student Shota seeks to save humanity by perfecting his "Repair Blow"—it was inspired by a man who hit a television to make it work, but with Shota's strength he just demolishes it. In the company of Momoko and Kanji, he travels Japan through enclaves of interest groups, looking to help others.

Main characters

; : A teenage boy who has spent ten years studying karate alone, trying to perfect a Repair Blow that will fix broken machinery (though usually he just winds up utterly destroying said machinery.) His Repair Blow is also able to fix a dislocated shoulder. ; : A girl raised by

pigeons Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

who falls in love with Shota at first sight when he tries to retrieve her last ¥200 lost in a

ramen is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle di ...

vending machine A vending machine is an automated machine that provides items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or otherwise made. The ...

. She travels with a pigeon named Hatoko, who ordinarily sits on her head. She also thinks that she and Shota are married and constantly has delusional fantasies in which Shota shows romantic interests in her while in reality he does not. She claims to have learned pigeon martial arts, used to defend against predators, from her foster family. ; : A

grifter A grifter may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Grifters (band), a 1990s American indie rock band * ''The Grifters'' (novel), a 1963 American novel by Jim Thompson * ''The Grifters'' (film), a 1990 American adaptation of the novel * Grifter (ch ...

who sells defective toy robots at the start of the series. After his merchandise is destroyed by Shota practicing his Repair Blow, Kanji starts travelling with him, hoping to profit from him. He is also constantly attacked by Momoko.

Manga

The series was first published in ''

'' and collected in three bound volumes. It is licensed in North America by

, with two volumes published as of January 2008.

Reception

The English translation of ''Hikkatsu! Strike a Blow to Vivify'' was favorably reviewed by Anime News Network, calling it "a satisfying light read". A common criticism of reviewers is that the characters are one-dimensional.

References

External links

Official Webtsite at Go! Comi
* {{ann, manga, 7872 2005 manga Comedy anime and manga Dengeki Comic Gao! Go! Comi titles Science fiction anime and manga Shōnen manga