Kazushi Hagiwara:  Nude - Bastard !! Guardress Illustrations
                                             (2001 - Shueisha)  

     This is a book of art associated with two of the manga titles for which artist Kazushi Hagiwara was creator or primary designer, namely BASTARD !! and GUARDRESS (properly-BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS).  It's a 100-page book with 78 art pages, though 35 of those are multiple-image pages.  Mostly color, the art pieces are frequently studies of the characters, or groupings of characters that make up the huge story universes, while those studies are indeed action-laced.  As a Japanese book, it is 'reversed' back-to-front and all the text is in that language, with the exception of the chapter titles.  There is a large fold-out that is effective on both sides, if you're into that.  Not so fortunate are the seven double-page spreads of which only two could be termed satisfying.  The chapter openings use glamorized pictures of related molded action figures that are interesting, but the last several pages devolve into the incredibly busy sketches-and-commentary presentation that so many anime & manga books are full of.  Most of the characters remain somewhat clothed through the many pages, but the females seem to eventually lose that particular battle (the cover not withstanding), and truth be known, there are one or two images of imperiled nude bound beauties that cross the line in my estimation, so this book is put away from the children.  Note that in this country, this book is frequently sold in a box set with a collection of the artist's Japanese manga.

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