Ranked #450

Shinsengumi Imon Peace Maker (Manga)

Let me first say that the anime, Peace Maker Kurogane, is an adaption of this manga, and not the sequel (also called Peace Maker Kurogane). I guess there were some copyright issues or something regarding the title Peace Maker. If you have seen the anime, the question you want to ask is probably 'Is it worth reading the manga despite having seen the anime?' The answer to that, in my opinion, would be yes. This also applies the other way around, if you've read the manga, I also recommend the anime. If you've neither read the manga nor seen the anime, I recommend you watch the anime first. Although, while the anime is an adaption of Peace Maker (this manga), quite a few things are thrown in that never actually happened in the manga, which make it less believable (such as magic and sourcery, which I believe do not belong in historical anime). The anime also has a lot more comedy than the manga did. So if you want a semi-hardcore historical samurai flick, go for the manga first. I say semi-hardcore because there are lighthearted moments just as much as there are bloodbaths, but it's a more serious approach than it's anime counterpart. Now, onto the proper review.

For a samurai manga, Peace Maker has quite a typical story. Boy wants revenge on man who killed his parents, in order to do so he wants to get stronger. Sounds very plain and typical, no? I believe the story is worth quite a high mark though, because not only is it one of very few manga's that has an in depth story of the Shinsengumi, a lot of it is actually historically accurate. Nearly all of the characters are based off of real people, and real members of the Shinsengumi. A lot of research was put into making this manga as accurate as possible, so kudos to you Nanae Chrono. It is set during the correct time, the Edo era and the beginning of the Meiji resoration, and all of the actual events that really did happen during those times do happen in Peace Maker. One event to note is the Ikedaya incident, which is the climax of this manga. So while the story may seem quite typical to it's genre, the fact that it's historically accurate, and that you learn a hell of a lot about Japan while reading it earns it extra points.

The art has quite a rough but detailed style. You can really be a part of the action and know the area in which Peace Maker takes place all because of the art. I can't remember a part where I thought oh I wish they should have shown this there or that here, the art is what it needs to be and more. Backgrounds are always present and there is no lack of detail. The character designs are very well done and as I have already mentioned, nearly all of the characters are based off of real people, so the characters are drawn as the history books describe them. You may see other Shinsengumi anime and manga with rather different character design's, but you can always spot similarities. I think it's very important, and I'm glad, that the author researched the characters (and everything else for that matter) before drawing them. The only problem I have with the art is that during a few of the action scenes, I found it a little hard to follow, and sometimes it is a little difficult to tell what is going on in certain panels. But you can't expect to read a manga using none of your imagination, so I just imagined what I thought happened whenever I couldn't tell exactly what was going on and that worked a treat!

I hate to keep mentioning this, but again, as I have already said... the characters are based off of real people, so I think that makes them just a little bit more interesting than fictional characters. It is extremely interesting to see what kind of people there were during the Edo period in Japan compared to what kind of people there are in Japan in the present time. You're constantly connecting with the characters in Peace Maker and in every chapter more and more things are revealed about them, there isn't a single dull moment. You get to see these characters thoughts, you get to see both sides of their personality, you get to almost personally know them in a way. They are very well developed and never get dull.

The amount of enjoyment I had reading Peace Maker was phenomenal. After watching the anime I was looking out for the manga for a while, then one day while I was in my local bookstore I found it, there it was - Peace Maker Volume 1! I bought it and read it all that very same day. As soon as I finished, I bought the next three volumes off of Amazon and waited eagerly for them to arrive. Once they did arrive, I read them all in a single day, then waited impatiently for the fifth and final volume to be released, which I recieved this morning and have just finished reading. It's only a short series, five volumes, so it doesn't really have time to progress slowly, or time to even disappoint. Things keep happening, characters keep getting introduced, the story keeps progressing, it never lets you put it down. Also, not only did I just enjoy myself, but I am now greatly educated on the Shinsengumi and the Edo and Meiji periods in Japan. This manga educates you extremely well! One thing I nearly forgot to mention is that there is a single page mini-essay at the end of each volume titled 'A guide to the historical era of Peace Maker'. This section isn't a must read, but it supplies you with masses of information about the Shinsengumi, the Edo period, the Meiji restoration and many more historical events that happened and were happening around the era Peace Maker is set. Don't be surprised if you become a hardcore Shinsengumi fanatic after reading this manga, it's not a rare thing. Oh, nearly forgot! Let me just tell you, one of the most enjoyable moments in this manga is the outstanding ending. The entire last volume, over 200 pages, takes place during one single night. The action never stops coming, and the last scenes are very satisfying. Peace Maker isn't avaliable to read anywhere on the internet (believe me, I looked everywhere!) so get out there and buy it! It's only five volumes long, and it's totally worth your money. The first volume of the sequel to Peace Maker, Peace Maker Kurogane, is due for release in March by Tokyopop. Somehow, I must survive the wait! read more