Inspired (in part) by American comic book artist Neal Adams, Ryoichi Ikegami's almost photo-realistic drawing style has stood him in good stead over the years. While his manga version of SPIDER-MAN was a bit less realistic, follow-ups like SAMURAI CRUSADER, MAI THE PSYCHIC GIRL, CRYING FREEMAN, SANCTUARY, and STRAIN have all borne the trademark style that sets Ikegami (and Adams) apart from the herd. The first installment in the CRYING FREEMAN anime series is by far the best: the genius is in the detail. Subsequent entries weren't as faithfully translated to film, but there's not really a bad apple in the bunch. I've never bothered with the live-action version because it was Ikegami's breathtaking artwork that drew me to the series in the first place. Seeing a live-action version would just be redundant.
Review of Crying Freeman
