This week for Manga Monday I’m covering a series that is fairly over the top, but still quite good. It’s Air Gear by Oh Great!

Plot Synopsis: A new fad by the name of ‘Air Treks’ (a futuristic evolution of aggressive skating[That is an understatement]) has swept the nation’s youth and all over gangs are being formed that compete in various events using their A-T’s. Ikki is a middle-school boy who is the toughest street-fighting punk on the east side of town, on top of that he lives with 4 gorgeous sisters that took him in when he was a kid.

Plot: Ikki is the main character, and while the sisters get plenty of screen time in the beginning, afterwards they sort of fade into the background. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because Ikki is fairly over the top, not as much as say Luffy from One Piece though. The series quickly becomes a battle series though, and while that isn’t a bad thing, if you hate battle series it will turn you off.

Characters: Ikki is a pervert, probably due to living with four beautiful sisters that spoil him when they aren’t kicking his ass for being a pervert. I actually like Kazu the most, because he’s a decent guy and isn’t as stupid as Ikki is. The cast is great, although some of their antics may make you apoplectic.

Art: Oh Great is known for his amazing art, and Air Gear is no exception. However Oh Great is also known for his depiction of women, if you don’t enjoy or can’t at least tolerate his fairly juvenile taste, this series may make you unhappy. The art is great though.

Overall: If you like sports series that are more battle series than a sports series, you’ll love Air Gear.

For those who like: Sports series, Battle series, Great Art, Funny Characters, Over the top plot (I mean they are battling with roller skates come on).

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above, or can’t tolerate a juvenile depiction of women in a story.