I've been meaning to do this for a while, I just haven't gotten around to it. As such, this book isn't exactly new (several years old), and it isn't exactly a book (so much as it is fan-fiction from the internet). But review it I shall anyway.
Goku/Anne Frank: Until the End of Time
This mashup between Anne Frank, whose titular diary became a beloved classic, and Dragonball, a popular manga/animated program originating in Japan in the 1990s, has tons of potential but ultimately squanders it through incomplete plot progression and a general lack of chemistry between the two romantic leads.
The story introduces both Anne and Goku without much exposition; those unfamiliar with the two characters will be immediately lost. Anne's character does express an unfamiliarity with the events that occur in the opening moments, a feeling the reader most likely shares, but Gofer-chan (the author) never rectifies this oversight for us nor the young girl. The attraction that follows is strictly juvenile and strangely out of place, even considering it happens within the opening lines of the story, when the reader may not actually have a sense of the mood the author is trying to invoke. The two are separated almost as soon as they're thrust together, again confusing both poor Anne and poor me.
The story definitely picks up in the second half, though. It seems as if Gofer-chan took a lot of time off between the two halves of the tale. Perhaps to hone his storytelling ability. The addition of several plot twists and thrilling, edge of your seat action transforms this yawn-fest into a masterpiece. I hate to give spoilers, but let me be the first to tell you your eyes won't leave the screen once Super Saiyan Hitler hits the scene.
The story almost falls apart at the end, since the resolution arrives almost simultaneously with the climax, but I walked away satisfied nonetheless. Overall, highly recommended for all fans of either aliens highly skilled in martial arts or innocent children psychologically tortured by mass genocide.
Grade: B+
Friday, March 7, 2008
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