Franken Fran

[Cosmos]

So after checking out @Lunete's profile page after seeing Fran Madaraki as her avatar, I was very surprised to see that quite a few Kiwis are fans of the manga Franken Fran! This series is so great I really think it deserves its own thread. I previously made a thread on Junji Ito and offered recommendations on what to read. If you're a fan of Ito or even horror in general, you definitely don't want to miss out on Franken Fran.

For the uninitiated, Franken Fran is a horror-black comedy series by Katsuhisa Kigitsu. Although the series is very episodic by nature with little to no continuity between chapters, there are a couple of plot lines and characters that carry over between stories. The manga revolves around Fran Madaraki, a girl who was created by the world's top biologist, Dr. Naomitsu Madaraki, to be his assistant. After the doctor leaves, it's up to Fran to look after his estate and deal with any medical cases that people want Dr. Madaraki to handle (although later on Fran does make a name for herself). Fran only has one directive/guideline, which is to save lives through any means necessary. This leads to a lot of... interesting scenarios where the people Fran "saved" are honestly way better off dead.

Also, I just discovered that Franken Fran is finally getting a North American release in the form of 2-in-1 omnibus volumes starting February! It's about time! I'm totally buying the entire series.

The entire series can be read here or here.

 

[Hat]

Looks cute.

 

[Smelvin]

This thing is coming to America?! HOLY SHIT YES!

I fucking love this series. It's hysterical. The author has to have some kind of medical background because the science behind each chapter is surprisingly in-depth. It's not often that a manga is this legitimately funny, and this dead-on with its satire. The fact that it often satirizes some of the worst parts of Japanese culture just makes it even better (there is an entire chapter dedicated to bashing the elderly and it is glorious). Not to mention that fucking genius chapter that goes in-depth with just how grotesque someone would be if they looked like an anime character in real life, and how unsustainable a body type like that would be.

And I did not see an appearance from the Flying Spaghetti Monster coming.

While the gross-out factor is what a lot of people focus on, what really sells this series is how clever and funny it is. The humor is very dark, but it never feels gratuitous, or repetitive. it's not "every chapter's got a gory punchline," it's a series that explores lot of different ideas, and the often horrifying places those ideas can go. Or, hell, it can just be some light-hearted fun while still being gross as hell (like Veronica's discovery of the cockroach civilization).

Also the covers to the volume collections are some brilliant shit; each tankoubon looks like some typical moe-garbage fap fodder on the cover. Then you open it and the inside cover is some horrifying distortion of the cover image. Case in point:

Here's a cover:

Spoiler

And here's what's behind that cover:

Spoiler

Seriously, people, I can't recommend this series enough. This is some brilliant, hilarious, and gory shit. Go check it out!

 

[From The Uncanny Valley]

I love love love this series, I'm buying the first volume the second it comes out

 

[Cosmos]

I love love love this series, I'm buying the first volume the second it comes out

I know, right? I'm still shocked that it took so long to get an official English release! From what I can tell Franken Fran is rather popular.

 

[Too Many Crooks]

Franken Fran is getting an English release next year? Awesome! I've been hoping for this since I started reading in 2009
I mean, we can read it online, but it's nice to know that it will be published in English.

Now I wish that series like Akumetsu and Wolf Guy followed (they are not by the same author & illustrator, but whatever).

 

[UglyOldJafar]

And I was thinking that the thread was opened up because there is new information about it.
Anyway, congratulations for finally getting an US-release. I own the entire series already, so nothing excitting here for me.
And I agree, this is one of the best horror mangas ever made, mostly thanks to how dark yet utterly hilarious it is. It's like Japan's demented answer to Tales from the Crypt. too bad the magaka decided to give up on it after only 8 volumes. I really, really wanted a conclusion to that Kamen Rider parody thing that went on throughout the manga.

 

[House Of Reeves]

Love this series to death.
So glad it is finally getting a U.S. release.

 

[Cosmos]

So what's everyone's favorite chapter? Personally, I love the chapter where an actress becomes obsessed with becoming a real-life anime character in order to win the love of her costar. It's so great.

 

[P.A]

The chapter I remember off the top of my head the most is about that old woman who wanted to be eternally young and at the end

Spoiler

turned into a giant, immortal blob of cancer.

 

[Lunete]

One of my favorite scenes is where this guy falls in love with a girl who is terrified of men, so he has a sex change operation and then this happens:
NSFW

Spoiler

 

[IHeardThatCurtis]

I love this series and im glad this manga is getting more exposure.Love the stories and the characters and my favorite part is the wtf moments.

Love this series i hope their is a spin off or more stories with Fran and co.

Spoiler: WTF

 

[WeebyAutist]

Spoiler: Spoiler

If I recall correctly, someone mentions offhand later that the couple cheats on each other and breaks up.

 

[Hummingbird]

This is great news. Now all we need is an anime series.