Hikkatsu! Strike a Blow to Vivify

Hikkatsu! Strike a Blow to Vivify, known simply as Hikkatsu! (ヒッカツ!) in Japan, is a Japanese shōnen science fiction comedy manga series written and illustrated by Yu Yagami. It was published in Japan by MediaWorks in the monthly manga magazine Dengeki Comic Gao! from May 27, 2005 to May 27, 2006 and collected in three bound volumes. It was licensed in North America by Go! Comi, with all three volumes released.[1]

Hikkatsu! Strike a Blow to Vivify
Cover of the English edition of volume 1.
ヒッカツ!
(Hikkatsu!)
GenreComedy, Science fiction
Manga
Written byYu Yagami
Published byMediaWorks
English publisher
MagazineDengeki Comic Gao!
DemographicShōnen
Original runMay 27, 2005 – May 27, 2006
Volumes3

Story

In a future where geomagnetic abnormalities have made everyday home appliances 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
Shota (ショータ, Shōta)
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.
Momoko (モモコ)
A girl raised by pigeons who falls in love with Shota at first sight when he tries to retrieve her last ¥200 lost in a ramen vending machine. 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.
Kanji (カンジ)
A grifter 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 Dengeki Comic Gao! and collected in three bound volumes. It is licensed in North America by Go! Comi, with two volumes published as of January 2008.

VolumeJapan release dateJapan ISBNNorth America release dateNorth America ISBN
12005-10-27ISBN 4-8402-3225-32007-10-03ISBN 978-1-933617-57-2
22006-01-27ISBN 4-8402-3321-72008-01-16ISBN 978-1-933617-58-9
32006-07-27ISBN 4-8402-3536-82008-04-06ISBN 978-1-933617-59-6

Reception

The English translation of Hikkatsu! Strike a Blow to Vivify was favorably reviewed by Anime News Network, calling it "a satisfying light read".[2] A common criticism of reviewers is that the characters are one-dimensional.[2][3]

References
  1. "Hikkatsu! Volume 1". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  2. Theron Martin (2008-01-13). "Review: Hikkatsu! GN 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-01-25. The first volume of Hikkatsu! is not the funniest, best-looking, or most entertaining manga title out there, but it has enough pseudo-martial arts in it, and has good enough comic timing with its quirky sense of humor (Puppy Eyes Enthusiast Clan?!?), to qualify as a satisfying light read.
  3. Sakura Eries (2007-11-13). "Hikkatsu! Vol. #01 of 3". Anime on DVD. Retrieved 2008-01-25. As a result, this manga is not serious at all and would probably appeal to younger shōnen readers, who aren't very interested in character development and just want a good laugh.
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