For the most part the story follows a fearsome killer known by his codename (Ichi) and the orders he undertakes from his so-called uncle. The main story may lack some depth but it tries to add some by revealing the past bullying experiences of Ichi, which led to his current state of mind. Although it doesn’t seem to do a good job at relating it to the present, it manages to tie it in with Ichi’s current target. In the end the story does have a repetitive cycle but there are plenty of exciting twists to spice things up.
The artwork is unusually great because there’s lot of detail put every panel and character designs, however most of the character designs are quite unsettling. Also this manga is pretty creative in its depiction of extreme gore and horrific violence, so expect to see the most nauseating thing you can imagine.
Overall Ichi the Killer proved to be one of the most disturbing and gruesome manga ever created, with a twisted story that didn’t make much sense until you get deep into the story. This manga really only served the purpose as a vaccination for extremely, bloody, violent manga because after reading this you’ll never feel a thing when you see like a guy being tortured or decapitated in any other manga. So in the end, this manga is a decent read, but you’ll have to be a violence lover to enjoy this.
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