Tokage no Ou

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This review is meant to be spoiler-free while taking account to the entire first volume serving as a mere prologue, where the perspective narration hasn't been fleshed out clearly yet.
//Note: the first volume has an manga adaptation.
//Note: I have finished five volumes of this series (currently at five volumes)
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Tokage no Ou revolves around two main characters, with three different perspectives being narrated consecutively (by sections indicated with animal icons). This series mainly deals with matters of deception and vengeance.

Tokage no Ou begins with introducing one of our main characters, Ikagawa Tokage, who has a severe ... case of "chuunibyou". He has an actual power however, albeit it being a useless one; Tokage can freely alter the colors of his eyes. In his youth, repetitive usage of his power caused him to forget his original eye color, which shocked his parents greatly. As fanatical followers of a religious cult revolving around a "real life God" - Egret, a girl with wings of light, Tokage's parents refer to him as a "demon child" and frequently abandons their household affairs to spend time in said cult and to avoid the aberrant boy.

Disgusted by his parents' abnormal life, Tokage's case of chuunibyou allowed him to escape reality through making up a backstory to explain his special existence and power, which he believes will evolve as time goes on. Becoming a delinquent due to these circumstances, he is mostly a loner who "trains" his ability periodically in an abandoned building. When a scream appeared from the lower levels on one of these days, he prepares an escape ladder he made for such kind of scenarios (thanks, chuunibyou!) to escape from the outer walls. But when the ladder broke and forced him to land in one floor below, what he sees before him effectively changes his path in life.

In the abandoned building, various individuals gather, in which the other two perspectives of the narration arrive to as well, including main character B. Following a chain of events, Tokage and our second main character escape alive but both lose something important to them, therefore beginning their quest to vengeance.

Characters in Tokage no Ou can be considered its strongest point, as the story deals with the main characters' affected lives and their changing psyche as the series proceed. All (named) characters are connected to each another in some way, where nobody can be labeled as either a friend or foe. Regardless of their appearance count, the majority of characters alter the story by a little in the grand scheme of things. One bonus we get from these characters is how some of them have special abilities that seem so trivial, yet are put to use creatively.

The artwork is clean and engaging, with minor parts that may be a little messy but doesn't affect the overall mood. Though there are some "pointless" images that exist for the sole purpose of erotic fan service, there is generally only one image per volume like such.

Overall, Tokage no Ou is quite an appealing story that boasts a high enjoyment value. While it lacks a complicated story line, it includes quite a few mystery factors through seemingly vague ideas; the whole image is gradually connected through details given by the three sides of narration. Though the story may be considered tragic, it has its comedic moments too. Various references to many other series make it a fun easter egg bonus. One downside of the series is that there are currently only five volumes, with the latest one being written back in early 2013, so the current status is not entirely known as of yet. If you're a fan of tragedy, supernatural, or multiple narration, I recommend you to check out this wonderful work by Iruma Hitoma.