Wa no Kage

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To be perfectly honest, I've never been a fan of political stories, which I find, in my humble opinion, often complex and difficult to grasp, due to the heavy themes they tackle. However, *Shadow of the Ring* captured my attention thanks to its fascinating universe, blending ancestral traditions and cutting-edge technologies. As a result, I immersed myself in this thrilling and deeply moving tale which, despite its flaws, profoundly transformed my perception of certain beliefs I had taken for granted. However, before I get carried away, it's worth taking a closer look at the qualities and shortcomings of this work.

Drawings : 9
Cut-outs: 10

Technically, the work ... is beyond reproach. Although the distortion of the faces in some of the plates is regrettable, and sometimes detracts from the seriousness of the story, Nakagawa's illustrations are simply breathtaking in their detail. The wide shots reveal the extent of the author's imagination and talent, particularly in his depiction of the sublime city of Keiju, a complex mass of details where it would be laborious to distinguish each element. As for the cut-outs, they are of exemplary clarity, making it much easier to understand the story as a whole. I have few criticisms to make in this respect.

Universe: 9.5
Characters: 10
Plot development: 9
Drama and politics: 8
Ending: 6.5

As for the story as a whole, and the characters and universe around which these political, ideological and financial intrigues revolve, I was equally captivated by the love the author has infused into it. Despite the brevity of the story, the universe created remains remarkably rich and well-developed. Shocking revelations abound in every volume, to the point where readers lose their bearings. While some may feel that the narrative strings woven by the author are sometimes too visible, to deny my appreciation of this tale would be a shameless lie. I fell under the spell of this teeming universe, its dreamlike atmosphere and its novel technologies. As for the characters, although they are poorly developed, they are nonetheless endearing. Even if their character traits hardly evolve over the course of the story, their intimate relationship with politics mitigates this lack of depth. After all, it's geopolitics that takes center stage. This depiction of conspiracy and political maneuvering is a very accurate and realistic iteration of our own world. *Shadow of the Ring* is not intended to be subversive; rather, it exposes the raw reality behind the scenes of political relations, where nothing is left to chance, every action meticulously calculated and orchestrated with the sole aim of enriching oneself or preserving certain privileges.

To conclude this review, I'd say that a few more volumes would have allowed this story to develop further, as its concept, universe and characters still conceal so many unsolved mysteries. I was also somewhat disappointed by the abrupt ending, which leaves so many questions unanswered. However, despite these minor flaws, my love for this magnificent story remains intact.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Aushi, Kamalu, Dawa, Guan, Douan, Mahina, but above all to Kaiji Nakagawa, for all the emotions and memories aroused throughout this sublime epic. I won't forget you in a hurry. To all those who read me, I urge you to ignore the negative reviews and give this sumptuous manga a chance.

The story is set in a world where a ring like that of Saturn encircles the Earth, which projects a shadow on the land. A nation on wheels follows this shadow and like under it catching 'Corona rocks' (just the name of the meteor here) and turns them into Corona Solids and ultimately into body suits used in wars, as fules and in development of science and technology.

The story does not have any central character, it shifts its focus from one character to another. The story follows a power struggle between four different groups.I would not rather go in much detail as it will lead ... to spoilers.

The plot is highly predictable, the story lacks depth and the character development is not that great.The action is fine though.

I think if the manga would have countinued for more chapters and had given time to go in more depth, it might had turned to be more engaging. As you would get bored by reading just the first two volumes.