[Manga] Apple

So this time I’ve decided to try my hand at reviewing a shounen manga. Have some basic info first:
‘Apple’
by Komi Naoshi
Release date: Dec 22, 2008 (oneshot)
Genres: shounen, sci-fi, comedy, action
More info: MAL, BakaUpdates
This one-shot (a pretty long one – whole 49 pages) was the first work of this wonderful author I was exposed to. Right now I don’t really remember why I got interested in sensei and his works xD Oops, seems like I got a bit distracted.
I’ve actually re-read this manga before writing this review to refresh my memory, and the first thing that comes into mind is one of those one-shots the fictional duo Ashirogi Muto (from Bakuman) are usually writing. I mean, it’s the quintessence of the genre – with a young male protagonist, somewhat original setting, some action, some humour and the basis of it all – friendship. The story is naive to a certain extent, but if you take into consideration its target audience, it all makes sense – it is naive for the sake of making it comprehensible.
I believe I shall not dwell upon the plot, because everything is pretty much thoroughly explained in the manga itself, but if you read a lot of sci-fi, be it books or manga, the story may seem a bit clichéd. Anyway, I personally enjoyed it, especially the beginning. I have to admit that it is perhaps too long for a one-shot, but still seems rushed.
The artwork is beautiful (I guess no-one expected me to become interested in shounen manga for the sake of story alone); not perfect at times (as if there’s a manga with absolutely perfect artwork), but I really like the way the characters are drawn, and the backgrounds are very detailed which speaks for itself.
8/10