Key takeaways from Maga Recommendation – Teppu:
- Teppu is a unique and underrated manga series that breaks established tropes in a good way.
- The series is only 35 chapters or 8 volumes long and features well-written characters and detailed descriptions of Brazilian Jujitsu techniques.
- The manga’s art style is exciting, and the series is a quick and enjoyable read that is worth checking out.
People throw around the word ‘underrated’ a lot these days. To the point where I’d argue that the word itself has become overrated at this point lol. This manga though, fits the word underrated in every possible way. I’ve never seen anyone even mention this manga before aside from a certain YouTuber.
Teppu is a very unique kind of manga. It consistently breaks established troupes in a really good way. And the fact that the author actually detailed descriptions of a lot of real-life martial art techniques in it, makes it that much cooler.
So welcome back to another edition of our manga recommendation series. This week we will be talking about Teppu. A fighting manga that you can actually learn something about fighting lol. So let’s get started.
Introduction
Teppu is written and illustrated by Ohta Moare. It was serialized in the Good Afternoon magazine from November 2008 to July 2015. It is just 35 chapters or 8 volumes long. So it can be read pretty much in a single day if you want to. It has no anime adaptation yet and I don’t think it will get one either given how few people even know about this manga.
Plot
Yuzuko is someone small in stature but strong in fights because of her proficiency in Brazillian Jujitsu. Sounds like a proper protag material, right? But, our protagonist is the prodigy, Natsuo. She is so physically gifted that she can pick up any sports or martial arts and be good enough to beat people who have been practicing for years in a few days. And yet, she cannot defeat Yuzuko in a fight. This sparks a rivalry that defines the whole series.
The plot itself is not that detailed given how shot the series is. And you know, that is not the point either. The plot serves as a catalyst for fights and each fight in the series is a big character moment. This gives every fight a sense of importance in which two characters clash at their best.
Characters
Characters are the main draw of Teppu. While there are not many, the few characters we have are exceptionally well-written. Natsuo initially is someone who has just grown tired of her daily life because she has nothing to do and almost everyone around her sees her as a demon because of her immense innate talent. Over time, thanks to Yuzuko, Natsuo grows into a much more mature person and each fight serves as a step toward her character development.
Art
Teppu has an exciting art style. Usually, motion lines are drawn straight, in this manga though, the author uses curved motion lines. This conveys a sense of flow which is important for Jujitsu. The author has these panels describing Jujitsu techniques in detail too, which is awesome.
Why should you read Teppu?
Quick pointers on why you should read this manga:
- Awesome art
- Great characters
- Detailed and factual info on Jujitsu
Conclusion
That is all for now. Teppu is a true underrated gem and I recommend everyone to at least give it a try. It is really short too so you; ‘ll be done with it in no time. With that said, I will take my leave here. See ya!
Check out my last week’s manga recommendation right here.
