Tower Dungeon

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I started reading Tower Dungeon when only 5 chapters had been published and that was enough for me to fall in love with the manga. Even though the premise is a very basic one, Nihei executes everything perfectly in this manga. The world building is fantastic, the characters are unique, nuanced and realistic, and the art is absolutely phenomenal.

There isn't a lot to say about this manga yet since there's only a few chapters out but from what's been published I can say that this manga has the potential to be one of the greatest manga of all time if Nihei is able to ... keep the plot interesting and develop the different characters in the series deeper.

Contrary to the plot, you don't need a lot of chapters to show how good the art is in a manga and this manga has some of the best art I've ever seen. The thing that elevates the art to this top level is the creative use of different angels. The angels makes the reading experience more interesting and dynamic.

The only reason I give Tower Dungeon a 9/10 and not a 10/10 is because there's only 8 chapters out and the plot haven't had time to develop yet.

The best fantasy manga you're not (yet) reading. Tower Dungeon has incredible art, interesting characters, and a setting that's quite intriguing. Tsutomu Nihei is best known for his science fiction works Blame! and Knights of Sidonia, and Tower Dungeon is his first foray into fantasy. It's refreshing and exciting to see him dive into a new genre. From the environment to the character designs to the pacing, this is a master at work.

Nihei is, first and foremost, an environmental storyteller. He shows much more than tells compared to other mangaka. Panels with no text are frequent and set the mood. Combined with his incredible creature ... and armor design, Tower Dungeon is a visual feast.

The setup is simple: a Tower has appeared and the princess has been captured by the Necromancer. Warriors across the land are seeking to rescue her by ascending the Dragon Tower. Yuva, our main character, is drafted to help. As Yuva meets his party and they progress up the tower, the story unravels.

Nihei's art is unlike any other. Heck, it's not even like his early art from his Blame! era. His style has shifted over the decades, getting looser, impressionistic, and modern. If you find the first chapter's art a little off-putting at first, I recommend sticking with it, as it serves the series well. It can just be a little surprising if you're not aware of his style change. His use of black in Tower Dungeon is top tier. I'm so glad Kodansha is going to put this out in print starting in 2025, as I think it'll look gorgeous.

If you're looking for a new series to pick up, give Tower Dungeon a shot. I can't wait to see where it goes from here, as many pieces have been laid, and Nihei is one of the best mangaka working currently with a proven record of making compelling stories unlike anyone else.

I see that many are calling this underrated or the best new dark fantasy manga, but I would disagree.

To put it bluntly, it’s a mildly interesting story, with its redeeming factors being character dynamics and cool artwork.
There has been a severe shortage of genuine dark fantasy manga/anime, and as a lover of dark fantasy I admit I let myself get a little excited about this with the subtle hype surrounding it.I think the reason it has this reputation is that at first glance it seems unique compared to what has been trending in manga and anime in recent years, but you soon realize that it ... really isn’t (it's called Tower Dungeon ffs).

In fact, it has more isekai tropes than dark fantasy. It’s obvious that the world is modeled after a video game like Dark Souls with them using consumable items, artifacts that give buffs, boss loot, etc. It feels unnecessary, and personally I think it hurts the immersion. The action has no real weight to it and seems more like a nuisance to the characters than challenges or meaningful moments in the story. Fights are usually over as fast as they begin, and the presence of plot armor is really obvious.
There’s no real world-building or extensive plot going on either, with the only “plot twist” so far being used as comedic relief.

I wouldn’t judge anyone for liking it simply for being about magic and dungeons and dragons and all that — but I can’t say it does anything notable to be more than that.