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Akumetsu
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Alternative Titles

Japanese: アクメツ

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 18

Chapters: 162

Status: Finished

Published: Oct 2002 to Apr 6, 2006

Genres: Action, Drama, Suspense

Themes: Detective, Psychological

Demographic: Shounen

Serialization: Shounen Champion (Weekly)

Authors: Tabata, Yoshiaki (Story), Yugo, Yuuki (Art)

Statistics

Score: 8.11¹ (scored by 24,018 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #576²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #239

Members: 71,180

Favorites: 1,928

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Reviews

Filtered Results: 27 / 29

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Dec 12, 2009

Quizerno

Recommended

To me. Akumetsu is everything Death Note should have been (in terms of Death Note's story). I hope I haven't angered anyone by saying that. I consider Akumetsu's story-telling to be wonderful.

The entire philosophy of "What is good? What is evil?" is something that alot of series integrate into their plot.

And so Akumetsu might seem to follow that, it takes a contemporary approach. Featuring science-fiction as opposed to magic.

Story: The details keeps you intrigued. They can be essentially divided into three parts that are all developed as the story progresses.
1. Akumetsu actions and political background of Japan
2. The people trying to understand Akumetsu and/or stop ...

Oct 29, 2014

butako

Recommended

I started off really liking this manga and as it progressed, it became a little stagnant. It can become a little boring towards the middle as some of the mini-stories can be repetitive. But, I always feel the ending can either make or break something and in this case, it DEFINITELY made the manga.. Those who have not stuck to the end don't deserve to rate the manga. The final chapters leading up to the end were so dramatic and tense. Although the end was rather abrupt, I felt it was satisfactory as a conclusion that left little loose strings and was impactful. That being ... said, the story is far from perfect and there are some characters that were introduced then shoved aside without much development (eg. the girl that shou may have liked in the beginning chapters). Now for he actual breakdown of each of the categories:

art: 9/10
The art style is stylized and expressive. It conveys the emotions of the characters quite well and is rather good at causing moments of extreme epicness. The artist did a good job in expressing the ugliness of the "evil" through his drawings. I felt a true sense of disgust every time I looked at them. While the literal interpretation that evil is ugly might be over powering in other manga, it works well in this story where evil is shown to be so oppressive and overwhelming. Though, the art isn't especially impressive and detailed, it is well drawn and creative in how showing how the story is told.

story: 8/10
The story was rather simple and straightforward but had depth at the same time. It did not try to convince the reader that what the "hero" was doing was undeniably right. The actions of Akumetsu are questionable at best and downright immoral at worst. Though there was a "good" side and "bad" side, the story gave the reader room to ponder the actions of the akumetsu. It allowed us to understand nothing is inherently evil, but will undoubtedly become corrupted with time. There some flaws and issues that I could pick out throughout manga but non that are big enough that would ruin the manga. As I mentioned before, the ending though abrupt was good enough to give a feeling of completion. The story understands that there is no end all solution for "evil" and I'm glad that they didn't pull out some bullshit method to end all evil (I'm looking at you Code Geass R2).

character(s): 7/10
I felt this was the weakest part of the manga. Aside from the main character, the side characters get little if any development. They felt quite two-dimensional and they all lacked personality. An exception might be Katsuragi. Although he character wasn't even alive during the timeline of the manga, the chapters dedicated to him really fleshed out his character as well as the reason for Akumetsu's actions. I actually felt sorry that he had to die. Putting secondary characters aside, the main character was quite delightful and unique to learn about in the story. The reason I'm still giving this section a good rating is because the manga is supposed to be focused on the point of view of Akumetsu as a man that tries to take on evil by himself. The problem is when he begins relying on the power of the side characters in the end. Without much development of the secondary characters, their collaboration felt somewhat hollow. That being said, the finale was still nothing short of gratifying.

Sep 3, 2008

kora

Recommended

Preliminary (51/162 chp)

Story[7/10] I was quite surprised by Akumetsu. The story is pretty standard. A masked man hopes to improve the lives of his countrymen by killing those that he claims are evil. Sort of a Death Note meets V for Vendetta, right? However, once you start reading you realize that this comic has the style and blood gushing violence to pull it off.

Art[9/10]The art very well done, and no matter what weird outfit Akumetsu decides to show up in it's gonna look bad-ass.

Character[10/10] Shou/Akumetsu's nonchalant and intentionally humorous approach to killing people makes him an enjoyable character who you soon realize is quite devoted ...

Mar 29, 2014

Po_and_Dong

Recommended

Right off the bat I will say this manga is extremely similar to two others of note, number 1 Death Note and number 2 Sanctuary. Akumetsu is at its core, a vigilante story starring the protagonist Shou, and his somewhat superhuman exploits. Shou wants to change Japan for the better, and does this with a series of assassinations against politicians and the like who he deems within reasonable thought that they are corrupt, but outside the normal law. Sounds in theory similar to Death Note in the assassination aspect, and Sanctuary in the reform part, but in my opinion Akumetsu is better than both. To ... start off I like the main character Shou, who is a shit eater to his very core, always smiling in seemingly ever horrible situation only for the audience to find everything going to plan (most of the time.) Maybe I am just naturally inclined to like the trouble maker protagonists, although Shou is not an immature character, in fact he takes his job very seriously. So serious and entrenched in his personal justice that he will literally DIE for it..... somewhat literally.

Beyond Shou there are some other characters, most notably the fictional Prime Minister of Japan. Besides that there arent alot of recurring characters, but there are a few. Akumetsu always has an audience though so it is not quite like he stares his enemy down and tries to morally break them in a 1v1 converation, there are always other characters around. Recurring characters are found in flashbacks as well. However, Shou is absolutely the star of the show, and he is just a really fun character, everything he does is interesting. If you are a thinker reader, you might find yourself questioning the validity of Shou's justice and logic, rest assured the author was prepared for this, or rather Shou himself was prepared for this. While Shou may seem like your typical Machivillineastic excuse me spelling, character a la Light Yagami, this isn't quite true. I wouldn't be fooled by the smirk, to put it simply.

Shou drives the entire story of course, this is not a saga following a plethora of perspectives, its definitely Shou's story and he is at the center of everything one way or another. The story is, basically, his long attempt to reform Japan in a bloody way. The chapters are heavily driven by dialogue, in fact Akumetsu has more words per page on the high actions pages than I have ever seen on a manga, sometimes something like 70 words on a page, you can see the translators need to use a narrow bold font to make up for this. There is some sarcastic banter on Shou's side, but during his engagements it usually involves him revealing the very, very extensive crimes of his targets. He doesn't mince words, but he also makes sure his speech is never under 1000 words, HOWEVER, its not a bore by any means. In fact, since the political crimes of his targets are usually very realistic in nature, it is interesting just by it's factual accordance, or rather its attempt at looking like a factual accordance. It's always interesting to hear what Shou, or Akumetsu, has to say, and what bizarre and corrupt crimes his target really did. He doesn't choose his target without a reason for sure. Moving on from his explanations, the presentation of his explanations are always absolutely absurd and entertaining, I thought every single one was awesome. There is always some ridiculous infestation of the host building he is doing this in, whether in the form of him hiding himself in a funeral casket, or bombs wired to windows for dramatic effect. There's a reason he is capable of all of this though. There is also alot of action in Akumetsu though, particularly toward the end where things get a little closer to warfare. In the beginning Shou is unstoppable and it is hard not to have fun on the ride. To pull it off to such a degree without going into the territory of thoughtless entertainment, which Akumetsu obviously is not, is a feat of sort. Good fun.

Art is nice in Akumetsu. Nothing out of the world but you even the most fervent manga art critics can't find a substantial issue here. The scenes are creative in what I would call, "scene choreography" and you will find your epic and overwhelmingly cool spreads here as well, which most manga of note have at least a few as well.
One last thing I want to mention is that this manga is pretty funny at times too, the nature of Akumetsu's exploits in detaining and executing his targets are intentionally absurd and over the top. And although there is no breaking of the laws of physics etc, this manga is fiction, albeit realistic fiction. There are also a frequent amount of references to Tezuka era anime/manga.

All in all, one of my absolute favorites, I am really glad I read it. If it means anything its a top 5 for me. Definitely give it a try if you are interested in it.

Dec 1, 2012

mm5703

Recommended

This is a very heart warming series. I started reading it and I never stopped until I finished the story in two days even if it cost me my mental ability of concentration. As I finished it I have not shed a single tear but my heart cries out loud for Akumetsu!

This series is not recommended for people that are unaware of the world and who do not understand deep meanings behind stories. This story is the best sci-fi story I've read so far...

Now this series talk about a fictional character that broke the human routine and went after the corrupted power holders ...

Feb 11, 2015

ar1s3

Recommended

STORY (9/10)

The story revolves around a boy named Hazama Shou who has somehow gained the abilities of a superhuman. He calls himself Akumetsu and wears a black mask to identify himself. He swiftly acts against Japan's corrupt politicians to clean up the evil within Japan's political structure. The manga makes you question what is truly good and what is truly evil. If you had the power of change, how would you go on in using it? The basis of this manga is Japan's political system. While they do explain most of the system and their respective powers, Non-Japanese readers may be overwhelmed or simply interested ... in the workings of the Japanese government. Knowledge of Japan's political system isn't needed to continue reading but it does provide insight to Akumetsu's actions.

MAIN CHARACTER (10/10)

Hazama Shou is a very likable MC. He strives to put a smile upon everyone's faces and fill his life with laughter. However, not all is well in Shou's life. His love interest is forced to sell herself into prostitution and his best friend is hospitalized. Throughout the series we learn more about Shou and why he must take such drastic measures to to reform Japan. His development is greatly portrayed in this manga as he makes his moves to "save" Japan.
MINOR CHARACTERS (6/10)
Probably the only thing wrong with this manga are the minor roles. Not much info is given about them and they have little impact on Shou's development and thinking in the first half of the manga. An antagonist(s) will take the limelight of a few chapters but the focus will switch to a brand new enemy. Akumetsu deals with a multitude of enemies so it's not fair to say that his enemies aren't significant but rather how their role plays into Akumetsu's plans.

ART (10/10)

Amazing! This is the same artist who did Wolf Guy: Ookami no Monshou (which is another amazing manga by the same author). There is no skimping on action scenes. You will see every detailed carefully drawn. While the environment of is often set in a city scene, it may get a bit bland. However Akumetsu path of destruction leaves these scene in ruins and beautifully drawn carnage. However, the best exaples of art for this manga can be seen in the different characters that are drawn. Facial expressions are spot on and every character has an amazingly distinct look. Even when there pages with crowds, you can still see the same level of detail.

All in all, this manga was a great read. The beginning drew me in since I wanted to know why Shou was committing such outrageous actions and the ending of Akumetsu left me quickly turning each page to discover what happens next. You may find the mid section to be a bit repetitive in it's formula but it's purpose is to build towards Akumetsu's grand plan. I find this a must read for those looking to read a manga out of the ordinary.

May 23, 2014

Sayuko01

Recommended

Hidden gems : search for the lost treasures #1: Akumetsu

In the "normal world", people do not know about mangas.

I'm not saying that manga lovers aren't normal : like someone who doesn't know about football find immersing in the world of sport difficult, the world of manga is not a dimension that is accessible for anyone. Luckily, our capitalist world created mainstream manga : someone who want to start manga will probably begin by reading Naruto, One Piece, Bleach... Or Death Note.

On that note, enter Akumetsu. Akumetsu is a series written by Yoshiaki Tabata and illustrated by Yuki Yugo. You may know the name ...

Jan 29, 2018

Kaydotkay1211

Recommended

Just wow.

The story is quite interesting- similar to Death Note and as realistic as Detective Conan. The story follows a group of "terrorists" destroying evil. In my opinion, really similar to Detective Conan if it was based off of politics instead of mysteries. In the beginning, it really caught my attention yet towards the middle it got repetitive, almost as if it was filler content. However towards the end, everything got wrapped up nicely and, boy, was it exciting. (I even got mad at my computer when it didn't load the next page.) And the ending wasn't cheesy or anything like that, it was probably ...

May 25, 2010

Historical

Recommended

[Story 9/10] At first glance the story seems pretty basic. A character that proclaims himself to be the "savior" because he wipes out what he sees as evil. As the story progresses though you see that the main character actually knows that what he's doing would be considered "evil" and that there are other ways to change the government besides what he's doing, but he wants to change the government himself and his methods are the only way he knows how to do it. That course of action is what takes place through the majority of the manga. Along the way the dynamic parts of ... the characters are shown and you get to see a little bit of their development, and then the series closes with all of your questions resolved. (Or at least all of mine were) Which in my opinion is one of the best ways to end a manga. Complete closure, and not much left to the imagination except for what the characters will do next.

[Art 10/10] I haven't read all that many different types of manga especially seinen to be able to critique the art so don't take this part of the review seriously. Honestly I hardly even pay attention to backgrounds and such, but I would know that if there were no backgrounds the manga would look rather empty. My main focus art-wise in on the characters. To me though, out of all the manga I have read this has been some of the best art I've seen. I really really liked it.

[Character 10/10] I really enjoyed each and every character and how they were really humanized. You could relate with all of them even all the way down to Shou who just wants to help his country out in the only way he knows how. Then back up to the policeman who is trying to stop Akumetsu, but has to deal with the "politics" of law enforcement that hinder him from doing his job.

[Enjoyment 8/10] Now of course I've been giving this manga pretty high marks but I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. Mostly because the world of politics is mostly unknown to me so bringing Japanese politics into that is even worse. The author tried to give the most dumbed down explanations he could, but even then most of the political aspects of this manga really went over my head, which really takes away from the intensity and enjoyment that could be had from reading it. I still gathered the main idea and some of the more simpler explanations though so it still gets pretty high marks from me.

[Overall 9/10] Honestly this is a really great manga and if I could understand maybe 80% of the political aspects in this manga it would be a masterpiece to me. Still, it's a great work of art and I would recommend this to everyone I know. Yeah it gets pretty gory (it's seinen), but politics aren't pretty. So I would imagine changing an entire country's politics would be very very ugly.

Feb 13, 2025

Boozarda

Recommended

I believe many of us agree that Akumetsu does not really have the most groundbreaking, deep story we've read. Or the most original protagonist, or even the most unique plot. But to me, this show stood out as one of the only mangas I've read that really screams political discontent.

You can feel the author's rage in each and every chapter. the political unrest was real during that time in japan, but rarely do you see such open critics about the politcal corruption and neglect by the japanese government.

To me, that was a breath of fresh air, and the sole aspect that hooked me ...

Jun 10, 2010

RyoTakahashi

Recommended

Like Death Note, there is one guy who kills the bad people to make the world a better one.
Though there are many differences. First it's more violent. The main character kills the greedy bank-bosses in a very bloody way. A guy getting striked with an axe or being burried in a street are examples for their "punishment". Shou is has a more "active" way for his plans.
Furthermore not everyone who did bad is to be killed. The ones are bosses of companies, banks or other high-ranked persons, who destroy japan and its economy.
The story keeps tense. You want to find out how Shou ...

Nov 15, 2011

Hououin-Kyoma

Recommended

Story: [10/10]
Since I would give Death note (my previous favoriet manga) an 9, I would be akumetsu'd if I wouldn't vote a 10 xD It really looks a lot like Death Note in some ways. It's just a bit more mature since it is going deep into the gouvernment of japan and sometimes it's hard to follow, but you would catch it up sooner or later within the manga. Especially the end is surprising. Even with a mayor plot twist far before the ending (2 volumes), It's still not know what would actually happen in the last few chapters. Akumetsu kept surprising me.

Art: [8/10]
Very ...

Oct 23, 2021

Chaf

Recommended

Because of its reputation and the different reviews I had received of the manga, I had a strong apprehension around Akumetsu. By the different elements, the scenario of Yuuki Yugo and the drawing of Yoshiaki Tabata had everything to please me. Unfortunately, everything didn't go as planned.

Akumetsu is a manga which is essentially about politics. It presents us a Japanese society corrupted by a greedy government and little concerned about the common good. A bit like in all the mangas that want to carry a strong message around these topics. In response to this political problem the authors will develop for 18 volumes the amazing ... and devastating rise of a figure of justice atonement: Akumetsu. His role? To sweep up the trash, and to put Japan back on the right track!

What I particularly liked in this manga is the powerful figure of the anti-hero developed. The character of Akumetsu is very codified, respecting all the good points of a revolutionary anti-hero. The authors took care to make us feel the hero's thirst for justice, and his desire to change society. The small touch more personal is the humor of the character. I wouldn't know if it's positive or not since it didn't really take with me often. I also enjoyed the ending of the story. Even if we can think that we are going in circles, the end is particularly successful. The authors were able to go to the end of their ideas to not make the volume of excess.

About the technical aspects, Akumetsu remains a rather classical and efficient manga. The cutting is not particularly innovative but the drawing is quite efficient. The action sequences are very successful and most of the time Yoshiaki Tabata manages to put us in perfect immersion in the high tension situations.

Where I had problems with the manga was the scenario and the development of the characters. The basic scenario is really interesting, but there are many easy solutions. This is very annoying in a manga oriented on politics since we have very few dilemmas for the hero. It is difficult to feel a real danger for him since he is very often one or more steps ahead. Moreover, the scenario is quite linear. We quickly get to the bottom of the issues but there are too few strong twists to enhance its complexity. It can feel like it's going in circles but at least the events follow naturally. The other black point of the manga is the development of the characters. Apart from the hero himself, I thought it was a pity that the author didn't push more some of his characters. That's why I like the end a lot more, because it's at this moment that the authors started to reveal interesting facets. I would have liked it to happen earlier in the manga.

Anyway ... I think that despite its flaws, Akumetsu is a pleasant and interesting read. There is a beautiful figure of the anti-hero and an overall scenario that makes us think about the people who lead us. I would have liked that there is no black point, but a work can hardly be perfect.

Feb 6, 2011

Neferius

Recommended

A rather heavy-handed yet startlingly accurate depiction of Japan's current political climate made for wonderful backstory to this Manga, as it's surprisingly likable antihero Shou "Akumetsu" resolves to take-on the system and eliminate corruption, one crooked politician at a time.

Any comparisons between this and DeathNote are completely irrelevant as this masterpiece is in a league of it's own.

Aug 5, 2013

R2ilt

Recommended

This manga has a nice tone to it and will (propably to me it did) hit a special spot for anyone who has watched V for Vendetta and took it more of an political movie rather than a action movie. But even if you did take VfV like that its still a good read.

Jan 4, 2022

okaaaaay_kee

Not Recommended

Preliminary (43/162 chp)

lazy, boring uninspired piece of work. this comic has very little, if any, redeeming qualities. it is a literal waste of time. it just isn't good. hell, it's not even mediocre. it's just downright terrible.

the basic plot, while utterly uninteresting, is not much of a crime. a vigilante that seeks to stamp out scheming, corrupt politicians is a story that's been done a million times and will probably continue to be done for the rest of the time. the only problem with it here is that it seems to be done so poorly. almost everything is illogical and incoherent and while there are events happening, ...

Feb 8, 2017

Biogundam

Mixed Feelings

Warning this review may contain spoilers.

First impressions, the concept for a series about a terrorist doing shit for reasons seemed interesting enough and I wanted to see what they do with it.

Story, 6/10

In Japan where the economy is at an all time low and political corruption has reached it's peek.
"One" man will risk life and limb in order to save Japan and destroy the root of this evil by any means necessary.
His name is akumetsu and this is his epic story.
...

Sep 9, 2022

dade2626

Recommended

Review Akumetsu without spoilers. 10/10

Akumetsu has easily entered the Top 5 of my favorite animangas, a somewhat complex story that has amazed me from beginning to end with, surely one of the best protagonists in the world of manga, Shou.

Honestly Akumetsu exceeded all expectations I had, when I only read the first 7 volumes and I refused to read it since they stopped releasing it in my country and I wanted to read it in physical form. And I will never regret continuing, something that was a good story, like the first 7 volumes, turned into a literary wonder by finishing it.
I will always recommend ...

Dec 2, 2021

Joricardo

Recommended

An extremely wild and fun manga. Akumetsu is a shounen reminiscent of Death note in fighting evil through an anti-hero MC, while having the madness of Chainsaw Man in the way he tells his story.

The characters are the weakest part of this manga. Akumetsu ends up getting all the attention leaving the others without any development.
That said, in the final stretch of the story, they end up playing a more participative role in the work. However, still totally erased by the MC.

The MC, Shou, is the biggest charm of this manga. He is very charismatic and the way he does "akumetsus" is always creative.
The ...

Jan 15, 2023

MangaIsPolitical

Mixed Feelings

STORY: 6

Great a story that is not black and white: good guys use questionable means and bad guys may not be so bad. Alas, some of the bad guys are still just evil whereas the story could have done a better job by showing and exploring the systemic nature of corruption. There's different arcs and some could have been dealt with quicker, that's a lot of volumes for a manga that could have been short and to the point.

ART: 6

Gets the job done.

POLITICAL POTENTIAL: 6
...