I've been trying to read this damn series for quite a while. I think I've gotten up to partway through the second or third volume before. I gave it one more shot, from the start, telling myself this was going to be the time it happened---

but. While the art is strangely compelling in its simplicity, I am totally bored by Scott's "funny" (...actually I kind of hate him a lot. if the point of this whole series is "feel for this poor loser!" I'm already sunk), I don't really find the world interesting, and the storyline/relationship is immensely creepy.

I suspect this is all part of the charm for people who like it, but at a certain point I had to ask "why am I making myself read this if I spend so much of it wondering why Ramona hasn't run away screaming yet?"

So I'm done unless someone is extremely persuasive. Or unless Wallace, the only character I am actually interested in, gets a lot more screen time than it looks like he's going to. ( )

It's been dang near 20 years since I first read this and probably 10ish since my last re-read. I wanted to re-read this series before I watched the new Netfilx series and I was wondering (concerned?) about how it was going to hold up. I'm happy to say it holds up wonderfully!

O'Malley really captures the experience of a very specific mid-2000s subculture. Re-reading Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life made me incredibly nostalgic for my listless, directionless mid-twenties. A strange post 9-11 era where young adults could instinctively tell it's all downhill from here, so we might as well enjoy the first few years of our cultural freefall. This is also one of the first pieces of popular media that took video games & "internet culture" seriously. I know this series has gotten a reputation of being "hey, remember this?" type humor, but I don't think that's very accurate. All of the jokes feel in universe and un-forced, and the vast majority still land today.

Re-reading 'Scott Pilgrim' also reminded me how much I enjoy likeable dirtbags. Both Scott and Ramona are clearly going through some issues, and those issues sometimes involve taking advantage of others, but both are very amicable characters. I've seen reviews saying Scott's a jerk, and while I may not disagree, I'll argue he's a likable jerk. Too much of modern American media, especially stuff targeted toward a YA audience, spends too much time ensuring their audience that their protagonists aren't problematic, but I'll always appreciate a hero that learns the lesson of being a good person is an active effort and not just a passive state of being.

I'm not entirely sure how this series would land for modern 20 somethings, but it's been a huge influence on my personal tastes and it's definitely a snapshot of its era. It's also a ton of fun! ( )

Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life introduces the titular main character, a 23-year-old Canadian who plays in the band Sex Bob-Om and lives with his roommate, Wallace. As the story begins, Scott is dating 17-year-old Knives Chau, a high school student, much to the dismay of his bandmates – Stephen Stills, Kim Pine, and Young Neil – as well as his sister, Stacey. He begins having dreams about a mysterious girl and asks about her at a party, learning that her name is Ramona Flowers. While he seeks her out, continuing to see her in his dreams, Scott and his band also begin to plan for a battle of the bands. Meanwhile, his relationship with Knives develops, though Scott seems to want to keep it low-key due to past experiences. As he begins to pursue Ramona, Scott learns that he will have to fight her seven evil ex’s. O’Malley blends elements of manga, video games, Bollywood, and more in crafting a series that’s uniquely his own. Recurrent story elements reference the story’s Canadian setting, incorporating the occasional in-joke for Torontonians. This volume is a great introduction to the character and his world as well as to O’Malley’s artistic style. ( )

Picked this up while I was back home and flicked through it again. I was reminded how good the Edgar Wright movie is, to be honest. Also, I think my printing of the book had cut off the edges of some of the panels. Not sure. Unfortunately, when I read the series through the first time, I'd bought this one but only got the other ones from the library, so I don't still own them! Otherwise I might have binged through them.

Honestly, though, the whole concept of having to fight possessive evil exes in order to win a girl is a bit uncomfortable. I mean it always was, but it's even more so in a post-#MeToo world.

It's a fun little book, anyway. But book 3 or 4 were probably the best in the series, if I remember correctly. At least that's the usual way of things. ( )

series still holds up, still great