Well, it's taken 3 years, but I finally finished Jing, King of Bandits.

Here's the story:

Jing, A boy around 16, and his feathered friend Kir travel all over the world in search of rare and extremely difficult to obtain treasures. Even though he's young, Jing is regarded as the best thief in the world, despite everyone thinking he's just some kid. A little taste of his prowess, he stole a large jewel out of a man's molar without him even realizing it.

The entire series (7 volumes, excluding Twilight Tales) don't tie together in any way, save for a 2 part arc. Each book is a different adventure(s)in which Jing and Kir steal a great treasure. The treasure isn't always a jewel or gold. At one point, the prize was a bunch of grapes. In each story, there is a "Jing girl," much like the James Bond movies. Jing, the lucky SOB, often gets a kiss or an intimate moment with the girl, which is always cute or downright gorgeous.

Characters:

Jing- A 16 year old boy that grew up in the forest with 3 lackeys. His mother died when he was very young. From the time he was born, his right arm had been bum. Although, in the series he has an AWESOME arm blade attached to his right arm. Jing meets many, and kills a few, people and always manages to leave an impression on them.

Kir- A lecherous black albatross that has a sharp tongue at times. He and Jing met after he hatched from an egg. Kir spends most of the time hitting on all of the girls that he and Jing meet in their journeys. Kir serves as comic relief, often shown in funny costumes or hilarious expressions. He and Jing have another connection. You see, Kir and his species can attach themselves to a person's arm and becomes a beam cannon. Each time Jing fires Kir, he shouts KIIIIRRRR ROYAAAALLLL! (Kir Royal!)Kir is still conscience and can communicate with Jing as a gun, but too many blasts cause a sore throat.

Overall:

A decent storyline and great artwork. It can get confusing at times, but it's nothing that can't be figured out by rereading the panel or looking at the artwork. Everything in the series is a pun on alcohol or a real person/place/character. The author, Yuichi Kumakura, also includes short poems of his own in the books, most of which are pretty cool. If you're looking for a good action manga, definitely pick this one up. There's one problem though, you'll have to order it online now, main reason why it took me 3 years to finish it.

That's what Jing is. I may have left something out, but nothing major. I hope someone else will read this manga so we can chat about it! And remember, "All that glitters... even the stars; All things precious... even your life; The King of Bandits can steal it all in the blink of an eye."