Sep 11, 2021
Since there's no review here yet I figured I'd leave one. To begin, I want to say that Kakugo no Susume is enjoyable, but it's not for everyone - it's certainly one of the goriest manga I've read, and probably close to the goriest you'll find without going to literal guro manga (i.e. Mai-Chan's Daily Life or something of the sort). The first volume involves a person getting their face sucked off. The primary antagonist's signature move is a blow that causes the victim to vomit up their internal organs.
Beneath all the camp and splatter, however, is an endearing story with memorable characters.
Characters:
The
...
protagonist, Kakugo Hagakure, is a disciplined warrior with a Kamen Rider-esque suit that can shoot off a variety of hidden weapons - he survived a nearly lethal blow in a confrontation with his brother, Harara, and now arrives at a school which needs protection regularly - protection from demons sent by Harara himself.
The antagonist, Harara, is an androgynous 'demon', formerly Kakugo's brother. They spends most of the manga equipped with a fairly impressive pair of breasts and their actual gender is left up to the imagination.
Supporting characters are Tsumiko Horie, who takes a more important role beyond the typical damsel in distress towards the end of the manga. The others are their classmates and Harara's subordinates, some of who are memorable, some of whom are not so much.
Kakugo's Zero Suit can also be considered a character, as it consists of a collection of WWII Japanese soldiers who were the victims of war crimes. They regularly advise Kakugo on the optimal course of action.
Story:
It's not the most original story, but it's brought well. It's about the horrors of war, both during and after. It's about justice and hard work and love overcoming all. Unfortunately, there are several situations where Kakugo's victory is facilitated by a deus ex machina, also rolling back any damage he's sustained (which can be massive, as the protagonist also gets gored regularly). Although there's variety in the 'why' this happens, it weakens the feeling of any stakes there might be. Still, it's a suprisingly positive and uplifting story that takes place in a very grim and bloody world.
Art:
A nice combination of charming characters and highly detailed gore. Characters are typically very expressive, too.
All in all, I'd recommend this if you are looking for a post-apocalyptic manga that's heavy on the gore but also relatively light reading.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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