Beck

BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad

Manga8.732291 votes34 volumes · 103 chaptersFinished

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About this title

Synopsis

Yukio "Koyuki" Tanaka wasted away his middle school days listening to Japanese pop music and apathetically trudging through life—until a casual run-in with the enigmatic guitarist Ryuusuke "Ray" Minami. Through this encounter, Koyuki realizes what he has been missing all this time as Ray introduces him to western rock music and jumpstarts his desire to play guitar. Although various struggles plague his path to rock fame, Koyuki refuses to abandon the passion that gave his life purpose, balancing it together with school, work, and friends. Beck tells the story of the love and trial that accompanies pursuing a professional career in music as Koyuki and Ray work toward realizing the guitarist's dream of the ultimate band. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Publication notes

Beck won the 26th Kodansha Manga Award in a tie alongside Sakigake!! Cromartie Koukou in the Shounen category in 2002. The first 12 volumes were published in English as BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad by Tokyopop from July 12, 2005, to June 10, 2008, before the publisher's license expired. Kodansha USA later published the full series digitally from July 5, 2018 to February 27, 2019. A promotional soundtrack titled Greatful Sound: Tribute to Beck featuring several different artists performing songs from the manga was released on November 15, 2002. A live-action film adaptation directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi was released nationwide in theaters on September 10, 2010, and it received the Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Music.

Published

Feb 17, 2000 to Jun 5, 2008

Authors

Sakuishi, Harold

External links

MyAnimeList page KodanshaKodansha USA Wikipedia Wikipedia

MAL rank: #64
Members (MAL): 92,827
Favorites (MAL): 5,541

Related titles

Adaptation

Beck (anime)

Main characters

Yukio Tanaka1411 fan favorites
External profile
Yukio Tanaka, often called Koyuki, is the protagonist of the series. Initially an unremarkable and passive teenager, his life takes a dramatic turn as he evolves into a talented and emotionally resonant guitarist. Though timid and easily pushed around—perhaps a subtle reflection of Japan's reserved, conformity-driven culture—Koyuki finds his voice, both literally and figuratively, through music. As the final member to join BECK, he becomes the band's second guitarist and a vocalist known for his stunningly beautiful voice, often featured in their more soulful, slower tracks. He plays a Fender Telecaster.
Maho Minami1307 fan favorites
External profile
Maho is Ryuusuke's half-sister. Free-spirited and bold, she was raised in America and speaks fluent English. Although she appears confident and sometimes brash, she is actually quite sensitive. She is a talented singer, although she actually has aspirations to study film abroad instead of breaking into the music scene. Maho meets Koyuki through her brother and becomes one of his supporters; she's also one of the first people to recognize Koyuki's talent for music.
Ryuusuke Minami675 fan favorites
External profile
Ryuusuke Minami is a charismatic Japanese guitarist with deep roots in American culture. Fluent in both English and Japanese, he often blends the two in conversation, reflecting his bicultural background. Living alone in a shack by a fishing pond, Ryusuke is a mysterious yet magnetic figure whose passion and taste in music inspire Koyuki to pick up the guitar. As the founder and lead guitarist of BECK, he drives the band's creative direction. In his younger days, he and his close friend Eddie Lee famously stole Lucille, the iconic guitar, from the trunk of Leon Sykes's car—a bold act that set the tone for his rebellious spirit.
Tsunemi Chiba444 fan favorites
External profile
Main vocalist for BECK, he is the key member that Ryusuke needed to bring Taira into the band. His attitude, style, and appearance was based on Zack De La Rocha from Rage Against The Machine and compared to Koyuki, his voice is more punk and rock oriented, like the majority of the band's songs. He also named the band "Beck" after staring at Ryusuke's dog for a few moments. He also tends to pick his nose.
Yoshiyuki Taira369 fan favorites
External profile
The first recruited member of BECK, Taira is the bassist, and the most talented band member next to Ryusuke. He plays a Music Man StingRay bass. His attitude may sometimes come off as uncaring. He has been seen working as a traffic officer. As the story progresses, we learn that his father was a jazz musician that left him and his mother when he was young.
Yuuji Sakurai82 fan favorites
External profile
The fourth member to join. He was Koyuki's first good friend, sticking with him even when the school bully and his gang beat him up for breaking the silent treatment on Koyuki. He is the drummer, inspired by his brother, and replaces the original drummer of BECK who followed Ryusuke from his original band, Serial Mama.