Dec 7, 2020
I kind of can't believe this title has had so little attention. It's a slick, self-serious shoujo adventure manga with a touch of the Gothic, set in an exclusive school with a mega-genius main character and chess motifs. It has all the makings of an explosively popular manga - but that 'kind of' wasn't a figure of speech. This manga is WEIRD.
The first chapter sets the tone. Its concepts are extremely intriguing, but the art can get confusing when the action starts and the pacing is incredibly uneven. Our MC is a pretty standard Light clone, but his tactics involve more negotiation and people
...
skills - a nice twist. The webs of control he weaves around his classmates are a nice way to introduce quirky supporting characters with fun designs, though so far characters who aren't our MC have a nasty tendency to disappear from the narrative. When one of these characters is vitally important to the MC's arc this gets irritating. Very important plot revelations are timed strangely and glossed over, and it's never clear if a character will be a protagonist or not. One chapter introduces about five new protagonists at once, while supporting cast members with unique designs and cool gimmicks are neglected.
The whole thing reads like a freeform RP on a forum, which isn't necessarily a bad thing - I enjoy the ride, and my pacing complaints may be a little overblown as someone who's used to reading shorter work. Kyokou no Ou does, however, have all the muddled plot and wildly varying character writing this would suggest. Our female lead is woefully underdeveloped in both design and motivation: an absolute travesty in a shoujo manga that establishes its characters' traumas and deepest desires using literal superpowers and monsters. Other female characters are decently interesting, too, so I have no idea why the author dropped the ball on her. I found myself excited at the prospect of her being potentially killed off early on to make room for more interesting characters, which is VERY rare for me.
The 'your fears and desires made real' concept for the imaginary world allows for some really creative choices, including some genuinely creepy monsters. It's a world I found myself wanting to explore, and got me wondering what my powers and fears would manifest themselves as (a sign of a surefire hit for this kind of manga).
Yeah, I have a lot to write about this title. Do I recommend it? Yes - it's an entertaining ride for readers who like the look of the cover. But be prepared to have a lot to unpack afterwards.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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