is a Japanese shōnen science fiction comedy manga by , the author of Those Who Hunt Elves. 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 is licensed in North America by Go! Comi, with all three volumes released.
Story
In a future where
geomagnetic abnormalities have made everyday
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
- 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 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 claims to have learned pigeon martial arts, used to defend against predators, from her foster family.
- 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.
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.
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.
References
External links