ib: Instant Bullet

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

As a big fan of Kaguya and Oshi no Ko, I wanted to learn about Akasaka's previous works. I fully expected to find the growing pains of a developping author, but I never expected I would find such a gem.

It is quite hard to talk about this manga since the ending was so rushed. You can clearly see as you enter the fifth volume that things had to end fast. But the potential was there and even with the rushed ending, Akasaka managed to share a story packed with more character development in 27 chapters than most manga have.

This manga is driven by the strengh ... of its characters and the twists of its plot. The characters will often spend the entire chapter talking about the scars of their pasts and how it affected them. Since just about everyone has a dark backstory, this manga can seem quite edgy sometimes but I thought it walked that fine line quite nicely.

The story talks about love and empathy, what it means so be stripped of the means to express them and how they are important for people to be happy. It can seem at times a little hard to understand since it's mostly metaphors and setting but it does the job quite nicely.

The plots is quite good at the beginning and manages to keep you on the edge of you seat by dropping hints at what might come next through a certain character. It is quite a ride of emotions and you can clearly see the potential that the story had before it was cancelled.

Overall I enjoyed this manga quite a lot for his breathtaking plot and how deep the development of the characters was in such a short amount of chapters. This manga had more character development in mearly 27 chapters than most mangas have in 150.

Akasaka's words at the end were quite painful to read as he seemed to like this project a lot and it's amazing to see how he managed to bounce back with Kaguya-sama. The author always said that he would get back to Instant Bullet eventually, and now that Kaguya is over and Akasaka passed auditions to find an artist to draw his next story, I'd say it's reasonnable to expect a reboot of Instant Bullet in this coming year and I'm very hyped for it.

The manga is intriguingly unconventional. While it may appear to be flawed at first, there's a certain inexplicable appeal to it that I can't quite put my finger on. Despite being unable to fully empathize with the characters, what draws me in is the intricate web of relationships that connects them, coming together like puzzle pieces to create a complex narrative that showcases a single person's psyche, thoughts, and story.
Although I may not possess the necessary intelligence to comprehend it fully, if you can establish the right connections, you may be able to catch a glimpse of his 'life creation'.

I don't really get what was the execution of the manga. Only way I could describe it is childish, as a premature, unscripted look in an ungrown mind of a loner.
I like works that have conflicted personas, but this just was not it...
It is one of AA's earliest works and it shows.

Story:2/10
Plot was rushed, but that is obvious considering it has 25 chapters. Still, there is no excuse for how badly framed the events are, just jumping from one event from another, inserting cliches and acting like acknowledging them makes the ordeal satire( it in fact does not, satire needs build-up). With the ending ... being tipped in without invitation, it leaves a sour taste behind the prior work, a kind of feeling that lowers the earlier opinion of the manga without much room for improvement. As the mangaka( really bad with Japanese names so we'll go with AA) explains himself in the post credits commentary, this can only be rebooted. Nothing to salvage of the plot.

art style:7-8/10
I am not an art guy and as such do not particularly care how a manga looks, but AA's work is competent, and just like his other works, the strongest point in his toolset.

characters:1/10
There is so much to say about AA's interpretation of "unfortunate" people in the world, from the 1 in 100 remark on which I could write a whole essay against to the backstories and general characterization, but let's be honest with ourselves, no one is here to see my rants.
My point is, that like in the intro, the way AA makes characters in this manga is childish.

The main character, Fukase, Kuro, is the victim of an interpretation of misfortune so exaggerated and outlandish that I had a hard time even reading about. It is not that the story is sad or heartbreaking, just.... pitiful? I do not mean pitiful as a way of meaning "feeling bad for the character", but simply that it is composed of surface limited puddle level deep traumas. It is not that they are light traumas, but that they are implemented in a way that actively takes away from their significance, in the end making the character also surface deep, the bare embodiment of... a teen who sees himself as meaningful and profound.

I do not like to use words such as "edgelord", but this is what he is...

I could also talk about the other characters and how only about 3 of them get any meaningful showtime, or even an actual backstory, but the problem is that all side characters, in a way or another, are an extension of Fukase, Kuro, be it "enemy?(seriosuly, a word used in poor taste too many times in the manga)", "illusion/ghost that is a part of him?", "fated/forced love interest?"... and the background assets( won't even mention the bunny girl, after her arc she is as irrelevant(to the story) as the other backstage mobs).

So yes, not good characters.


Overall:3/10
It is very clear that this story is carried by the art. For better or worse AA is a prodigy of his time in that regard, but the overall content( like his other works) lacks substance. The main problem is that he aims for subversion of expectations through satire. Mediocre writing and cliches can be carried by good art, but is this really what we should subject ourselves to?

Kaguya-sama, for all I care is a 7/10, Oshi no ko a 6/10 and this one a 3/10. It is clear that he has developed since cancelling this( a decision where unlike most other scenarios, I approve) and I can only wish AA to rework this manga( fully) when he has time, just as he had said in the post-credits page.

I do not hate any of his works despite how it might seem. It is just that due to my background, I try to find in mangas a certain type of character( those who read my other reviews( not that it matters...) will know. This just isn't my style, and above not being so, it is undeserving of the high score no doubt afforded only by newly-founded good reputation( on what if-s and mangaka respect) and good-looking art. It is because of that,
I wish AA good luck in making it deserve the ranking and apparent reputation.