*DigiRoyalty*

RYUKI, Manga Version

The manga version of Digimon Tamers has been out for quite a few years now and was fully scanned and published on Digital Dive Forums by a username named Beta. I've finally read it myself and here are some things I've discovered (ofc they're mostly related to Ryuki). But first let's just see some facts about this manga.

It was drawn by Yuen Wong Yu and was first published in Hong Kong in 2002 (yes, I'm only copying this from the manga cover!). The art is amazing, most of the time (if not all the time) it's better than the original - imo. The whole season containes 4 volumes with 7 chapters (except for volume 4, that has 9 chapters). Here are the covers:

(click on the pics to learn more about the volumes on digipedia)

I started reading the comic with one thing in mind - something I've read/heard somewhere - the manga is very Rukato oriented. I was okay with that, I wanted to see it myself. After reading all 4 volumes, I've come to the conclusion, that the story is not as much Rukato as I thought it would be. It would actually be hard to find any 'evidence' of any couple, it seems like all the 'evidence' parts were cut out (for example the one when Takato says Juri that he likes her or the 'Rukato scene' in the tunnel or ANY Ryuki scene) .. and the ones that remained and could be called some kind of 'evidence' are probably really Rika+Takato (and Kazu+Ryo (one-way attraction though, haha) plus there's one liiiittle Takato+Juri scene). But first let's see the differences between manga and anime (really short, for more go to digipedia links up there!).

First of all, the manga version of Tamers is shorter, which means some things were changed and/or left out. For example Ryo's part in the story. The part where he shows up in anime is pretty much the same in manga but when he says goodbye to the Tamers, he doesn't come back. At all.
There's also more refference to the original series in manga! In anime we know that Digimon is a card game and Takato has a poster of Agumon in his room. In manga Takato even mentions Tai twice; first it's when he gets Guilmon and puts on his goggles:
TAKATO: Here. These worked for Tai on TV. My name is Takato. I'm a human and I have goggles, so that makes me leader. Call me tamer Takato.
The second time is when Growlmon digivolves to evil Megidramon and Takato says that the same thing happened to Tai, when he wanted Agumon to digivolve with bad intentions (remember SkullGreymon?).
Plus there's one more thing Rika says but I can't be sure if she means Davis from season 2 or some other kid/man with the same name (RIKA: You guys are worse than that Davis chump on TV.) Well, it could be our Davis, if you ask me. :D

An important fact I forgot to mention - the version I read is a DUBBED version. So everything written here is not from the original Hong Kong version. That one might be different (maybe even more Rukato?). I doubt Ryuki in the original is any different than dubs, though.
If you watched the dubbed anime version (I didn't) and if season 1/2 is also mentioned there as much as in manga, just ignore the part where I wrote about it. x)

Now to the DR related stuff!
Ryo first appears in volume 3, chapter 18. The story is pretty much the same, except for the interaction between Rika and Ryo - there is NONE. They don't shake hands or talk to each other. Kazu and Kenta are totally blown away by Ryo's awesomeness, they mention Ryo's success at Digimon cards and Rika's winning of the tournament after he disappeared. But right after that Rika is sick of 'babysitting' Kazu and Kenta and she leaves. So they really don't talk!
That's all we get from Ryuki. Ryo looks kind of worried when she goes (RYO: Is she mad?) but that's it. Next day they meet Takato and the others and that one scene is shorter, since they don't sleep in that weird black'n'white world, the story continues with the fight against Majiramon and ends with Ryo defeating him in the next chapter (volume 3, chapter 19).

All the other main Ryuki scenes don't exist.
1) First we have the scene with Sakuyamon, where Rika goes down that cliff alone to investigate D-Reaper. In anime, Ryo follows her, in manga, she and Renamon go there alone. They find Calumon and one of the D-Reaper bubbles almost touches Rika. Renamon saves her and falls into precipice. Rika then jumps after her Digimon and they digivolve.

2) Then it's the scene in the D-arc where Rika touches Ryo's cheek. No, she doesn't touch anyone's cheek in manga, the scene is just left out.
3) I've mentioned that Ryo doesn't come back after volume 3 so you can imagine which awesome Ryuki scene is left out in the end. That's right, the D-Reaper fight scene. In manga it goes something like this:
Juri is trapped in Mother D-Reaper and Takato as Gallantmon (+Grani evolution (aka. Crimson Mode)) is trying to save her, however MegaGargomon already started making the tornado that is going to destroy the enemy. It seems like the 'tornado' is also effecting Gallantmon and Takato has some breathing problems. He thinks he's going to die but then Rika appears looking all holy with a light around her telling him (in her or Sakuyamon's voice, you can't tell x)) 'you have to stop thinking that you're alone in all this. There. It's all m-my power, so don't waste it. This is when Sakuyamon starts to look the same as in anime, when they give Justimon their power to destroy a random D-Reaper agent not the Mother. Takato accepts the power (TAKATO: I was really starting to like Rika. *Rukato fans dancing*) and defeats the Mother by cutting her into half (Juri and Calumon are seen outside the D-Reaper and there's a little picture at the side that tells us, Juri is OK). This scene is followed by the end-scene in anime, where Digimon have to leave our world. The entrance to Digiworld open again isn't shown in manga's end.

So this is that Rukato scene. There's also one Juri+Takato, where Gallantmon (Crimson Mode) is trying to save Juri from the round D-Reaper agent where's she's being captured and he says 'Allright, you big red creep! Gimme back my Jeri!' and there are some (actually funny) 'Kazu-likes-Ryo' scenes like this one or the the title of chapter 20. But this is the dubbed version!

I liked the manga, especially the art, the parts they've left out were left out okay, nothing seemed to be missing (after you think about it more you see some things with no conclusion though - like what happened with the rest of the Devas they didn't kill?). Some characters were made even less important than in anime (Ryo ofc, he was actually confusing in the manga - who the hell is he and what happened to him?! + Juri is first shown really late + Suzie is never shown getting a D-Power), Kazu and Kenta have a liiittle bigger role in manga I think (for amusing the reader I guess).

As for Rika and Ryo; Rika's character is the same as in anime, she's a fighter, a tomboy and her character develops through the story (not as much in manga). These 'introduction pictures' at the start of every new volume describe her character a bit.

Ryo isn't that 'cool' in manga. He IS cool but he also seems really shy! He is a legendary Tamer but it seems like he doesn't like to talk about it in front of the others.

Here is also the introduction picture for Ryo but there's a mistake in it. Ryo and Kazu do look a bit similar. x)

Like the manga idea or not, you have to at least see the art. It's great, especially Ryo. He's so cute!! I didn't want to spoil you everything by putting lots of manga pictures here. Go read it if you have time! =)