Manga Casioak Watch Review - Casio G-Shock GA-2100MNG-2A

Every time that I buy another Casioak, I think it's going to be the last one. I thought that I'd be satisfied with my most recent one, the lume dial version. Then I saw the Casioak Manga edition, aka GA2100MNG. Released in light blue and white, they look like real-life cartoon watches and I was dying to see one in person.

At this time, neither color has been released in the US, and they are sold out everywhere I checked. I couldn't confirm if Casio will be making more of them. Thus I went against my own recommendation from my original review of the Casioak and paid over MSRP. I ended up buying the light blue GA-2100MNG-2A from an eBay seller in Japan. I preferred the blue one, plus they were less expensive than the white ones at this time. Was it worth it? Keep reading to find out.

UPDATE: A friend let me borrow the white version to review. You can read that review here.

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If you'd like to learn about some other great watches under $500, you can read the StrapHabit Top 10 list, or view other reviews of watches under $500.

First Impressions of the Manga Casioak GA2100MNG

The cartoon look seen in the press photos really comes through in the resin. It really pops as soon as you open the box. I've never seen a watch like this in person, and the closest thing in photos would be the also-sold-out D1 Milano Sketch. I think that the Casio is a better implementation, however, plus it's a G-Shock. It looks fresh and modern, yet slightly worn at the same time

Manga Casioak GA2100MNG Details

Small black dots with black shading on every hard edge provide the three-dimensional cartoon look.

The bezel text looks like cartoon speech, looking like the watch is covered in legible labels describing its origin story.

If that's not enough, check out the speech balloon day indicator.

The hour markers also look sketched in, despite being separate pieces of plastic. It's as if someone had drawn them to be three-dimensional instead of actually being raised.

The caseback features engraved katakana characters. Based on my (very) limited Japanese skills, I believe it says Donshi. I can't figure out what is means, so if you can, let me know in the comments!

Beyond that, it's traditional Casioak. Polished metal button caps activate the functions, menus, and backlight. The resin strap also features a polished metal buckle (some Casioaks have plastic). The keeper doesn't apply any detailing.

Wearing the Manga Casioak GA2100MNG

Standard Casioaks at 51g wear light on the wrist, making them quite comfortable despite the large. Its thin profile keeps its weight flat on the wrist too.

Some of the Casioak models (especially the Midnight Fog) use hand colors that blend into the dial, looking cool but compromising legibility. While the hour hand can blend in slightly, it's still easy to see. More importantly, the red minute hand is always easy to spot.

The day display is also quite easy to read, and the bezel markings are the easiest to read of any G-Shock I've owned.

The LCD screen uses a negative display. It's not as easy to read as a positive display, but it is typically displaying less critical information. I think that it was the right choice in this case as it matches the style of the watch better.

The hands have the same lume as other standard Casioak models. It is decent, but not extremely bright. As with all Casioaks, this one has LED illumination for its dial as well as a backlit LCD screen.

Conclusion

While I'm still a bit salty about having paid over MSRP for this model, it's the most fun Casioak that I've owned. I also suspect it will the the only one to elicit comments from non-watch people. While I feel a bit silly wearing it as a man in my 40s, I like fun watches (and have others to choose from).

Despite its cartoonish appearance, the Manga Casioak still has all of the attributes that we love about G-Shock, and good legibility too.

Will this finally be my last Casioak? I wouldn't bet on it. The brand just released a metal version with Bluetooth and a resin strap (the combination that I failed to recreate). Maybe I'll have one of those next?

Manga Casioak GA2100MNG Specifications:

Name: Casio GA-2100 Series
Reference Number: GA-2100MNG-2A
Price: $Not Available
Width: 45.4mm
Height: 48.5mm
Thickness: 11.8mm
Weight: 51g
Movement: 5611
Battery Life: 3 years
Water Resistance: 200m
Crystal: Mineral
Strap: Resin