Dare to be stupid!: The greatest half a shonen series- Air Gear!

I loved Jet Set Radio Future when I was a kid, a game about skating around, tagging shit, and listening to sweet music ? Hot damn was that the game for me, Jet Grind Radio as well. So when I first heard of Air Gear, I knew I would love it, and I did. For a few years, this was my favorite manga, to the point where I took up skating to be closer to it.

Air Gear is the ultimate style over substance series. The art is amazing, even more so when you consider this was a weekly series. Every character has a distinct look, style, and personality. Oh Great, the manga-ka started in the industry doing hentai, and it shows in his art work, the women are beautiful, and erotic. That said, the story is a mess. The first half isn't too bad, but the second half is pants on head retarded. The series always contained made up physics, odd references, and technology that doesn't work like that. Still it enables him to draw more panty shots, and awesome action scenes. That's what makes Air Gear awesome!

Typical Air Gear spread

Air Gear is the story of Minami Itsuki, an all around bad ass high school punk. He enjoys fighting, and peeping on nake girls, like any young man. However he pisses off someone who's friends with a local Storm Riders group, and they decimate Ikki and his friends. Storm Riders are gangs that fight using A-Ts, or Air Treks, super powered skates that have insanely high output, and are everything you could want in a skate. Since this is a shonen series, Ikki lives with three beautiful girls( and one kid) who happen to be top tier Storm Riders known as Sleeping Forrest.They give him a pair of air Treks, and set Ikki on his path to glory.

These are what I consider the most important Characters and their team affiliation.

Kogarasumaru
Itsuki "Ikki" Minami- A new storm rider who everyone believes will be the Wind King, The king of Storm Riders, despite this he kind of sucks. Still he has great potential, and is the leader Kogarasumaru.
Kazuma- Friends with Ikki since childhood, super fast, and always in Ikki's shadow. Considered to be a Flame king candidate.
Onigiri- a fat pervert who wears his A-T on his head.
Buccha-A big plack pig who does steroids.
Akito/ Agito/Lind- The Fang King, his tuner, and a Brain Charger all in the same body. Yep, three personalities.

Sleeping Forrest

Ringo- The Thorn Queen who has lived with Ikki since childhood. She wants his D, and wants it bad. Appeals to glasses freaks.
Ume and Mikan- Ringo's sisters,expert A-T riders
Killik- Former Gem King, and one of the strongest Storm Riders.

Expect to see this often

Genesis- the strongest A-T team
Sora "Nike" Takeuchi- The current Gem King, an extremely bad ass who always looks like a demon.The current Leader of Genesis, usually in America.

Sora Takeuchi- The original Wing King, his legs were shattered by Killik. Eventually he gets sweet robot legs and regains his title as Wing King.

Simca- Pink Haired Hottie, use to be a tuner (someone who repairs A-Ts), and offered the leadership of Genesis to Ikki, as she had great expectations for them.
Spitfire- my personal favorite character, the Flame king, and probably the coolest and most helpful of kings. He is a hairstylist in everyday life.

What follows is an awesome an convoluted mess of fighting, awesome fight scenes, tits, and some plot that almost makes sense! Ikki and his gang fight other gangs, but what really makes this series stand out is the beautiful fight choreography, over the top skating moves, and a bunch of bad asses taking down other bad asses. If it wasn't for Oh! Great's love of half assed explanations, and a horrible second half, I feel this series would be more popular.

Oh Great loves to draw mythical creatures.

Air Gear had a fun first half, following Ikki's team Kogarasumaru on their exploit to rise to the top, meeting cool Kings (people with special wheels or regalia) and with tits and ass along the way. I loved the series, and when Nike showed up, shit got real fast, and I thought it would drive the series to new heights. It didn't, and it fell apart around chapter 175. It was never a well written series, but it was a fun one. The second half has Kogarasumaru losing battles,even more character introduced to an already bloated cast, and makes even less sense than the first half. Sora piloting an American Jet ? Why not ? Ikki is the Hurrican King for whatever reason ? Okay ? Obama trading minds with a high school girl ? Yeah it's not worth reading. I did force myself through it, but it dampened my love of the series.

Kazu as the Flame King

Still the series second half has on thing going for it- the hotness that is Kururu! She was my original Waifu! A member of Tool Toul Too, a neutral group dedicated to repairing A-Ts. She's Ikki's personal tuner, and the next in line to be the Pledge Queen.

So Kawaii!

Anyway the anime adapts the first hundred or so chapters, which is basically the best part. It has an amazing soundtrack reminiscent of Jet Set Radio, and some pretty solid voice acting by the Japanese cast. The English cast is okay. Obviously the art from the manga doesn't transition well, but they do their best. Plus it has nipples!