Ranked #3062

Manhole (Manga)

After finishing this and seeing there is no extensive review, I decided to write my first. If you don't find this helpful, feedback is appreciated.

Plot:
The story follows two detectives on investigating the truth behind a parasitic disease. The story isn't anything original, but the presentation and execution is well done. There are no dumbfounding twists and turns, but at the same time there is no gaping plot holes or unnatural plot devices. The plot progresses steadily through the chapters, slowly unraveling the details behind the epidemic. The length of the story is appropriate. It is straight to the point and does not venture into unrelated content or drag on unnecessarily. I can't comment on the accuracy of the medical terminology and concepts mentioned, but I'm sure they were slightly tweaked. There's nothing overly paranormal.

Characters:
If you are one who absolutely must relate and love the characters to enjoy something, you should probably steer clear. The characters do not get developed much, as the story is plot-driven. This does not mean the characters were bad. They were not memorable, but they were realistic and each played their individual roles. There are no needlessly crafted or contrived personalities intended for fan service. There is slight humor presented through the interaction between the two lead detectives, but nothing that takes away from the atmosphere of the story.

Art:
The art takes a more realistic and mature approach, giving appropriate detail to the people and the settings. The only exception would be the women. Many of the women have similar faces, but there are few and the dialogue makes them distinguishable. The panels are very clear in conveying what they are intended to, and the pages are used to their fullest. There is a minor amount of nudity and appropriate gore, but none without purpose. There is no reliance on explicit content to sugarcoat his work and conceal the lack of quality.

Overall:
There is no moral of the story here. No lesson to be learned, and nothing thought-provoking. It was aimed to present a good story, and it does that well. The lack of character development may be thought of as its weakness, but it does not take away from experience. If you're tired of pointless expositions, and just want a straightforward and solid story, I recommend giving Manhole a read. read more

This manga is a mix of detective, psychological and horror. It has a good story-line that progresses at an even pace if it can at time be a little predictable, and characters are slowly developed throughout, however only to a certain extent, although i felt close to the characters it wasn't like i was overly bothered about what happened to them. The art is generally good and at some points can be amazing while at other times lacking detail. Its a relatively short manga and definitely worth the read if you can spare a couple of hours of your time ^^