Giganto Makhia
Giganto Maxia

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Ah, Giganto Makhia. Kentaro Miura's first original work in over two decades and ultimate proof that he did not spend his year of Berserk hiatus just lazing around, like so many people seem to accuse him of. The man obviously needed a creative break and created this very short seven chapter manga in the meantime. And you know what? Did a damn fine job with it, too.

Story - 8
Giganto Makhia is a science fiction story set a hundred million years in the future, though to be honest it feels more like a fantasy story, as you wont find any advanced technology or other elements that ... would make it feel more sci-fi here.
The plot follows the two main characters Delos and Prome as they wander through a desert and eventually end up in a village of 'bug people'.
I cant really talk too much about the plot, as it so short, that any more details beyond this basic set-up might be considered spoiler.
Considering how short this manga is, the story does a pretty great job at introducing the main characters, setting up the world and some major factions
and having spot on pacing. The only negative i can think of is, again, the short length and the limitations that come with it, but the fact that i want to see more of this world means the plot did its job quite well.

Characters - 8
The manga focuses mainly on the two main characters Prome, a girl with magic powers, and Delos, a wrestler hired by Prome for an unknown purpose that becomes clearer as the story goes on.
Aside from the two mains, only one side character, another pugilist Delos fights, gets some attention.
Time constraints, once again, limit the character department from developing its full potential, though thankfully the important characters are all almost instantly likable.
Delos is kindhearted, but fierce and calculating once engaged in combat, Prome on the other side is a prime example of how to do a deadpan, mostly emotionless character and not make them boring and unlikable. They have great chemistry together and their interactions are one of the best things about the entire manga.

Art - 10
Kentaro Miura is one of the finest artists working in this medium, period. The art in Giganto Makhia is downright perfect with high levels of detail, creative character and creature designs, fantastic action choreography and an amazing sense of scale when necessary. Its goddamn flawless, i aint got much more to add.

Enjoyment - 8
This is a fantastic little manga and a very fun read, its only drawback being that it feels more like an introduction to a much larger series than a standalone story. Now, as a side note, Miura did say that he would like to continue it at some point, which i personally would love to see, but with his commitments to the Berserk series i doubt this will happen anytime soon (or ever). One can still hope tho, dare i say i almost wish for a another Berserk hiatus so he can squeeze some GM in his work schedule? ... No. No, i shouldnt say that and i wouldnt want that to happen, but you get my point, right? Good manga, good stuff, i dig it, thumbs up. Please dont crucify me for that hiatus joke!

Overall - 8
Recommended for people who like fantasy, action, good art, Kentaro Miura, sick wrestling moves or to those who would like to read an entire manga series while waiting at the dentists office.

It has been proved by the popularity of, for example, Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan), that stories that usually contain giants make a lot of success. In fact, since ancient Greece, legends of giants always caused curiosity and instant rapport. My story with Giganto Makhia started like that as well.

Kentaro Miura decided to write this one-shot during the hiatus of his best-known manga Bersek, probably to clear his mind, since Bersek is being written since 1989! The story itself mixture Greek mythology with something like a futuristic mode and post-apocalyptic - or as stated in the manga: after the Great Extinction. And if giants ... are already successful, imagine mythological giants in a post-apocalyptic backdrop!

To explain this better before entering the manga storyline, here's a brief description: In Greek mythology, the Giants were a race of great strength and aggression - though not necessarily large - known as Gigantomachia or Giganto Makhia and their battles with the Olympian gods. According to Hesiod, the Giants were the children of Gaia (Earth), born of the blood that fell when Uranus (Heaven) was castrated by Titan son of Cronus.

The story begins with the following words:

" In the distant future, far beyond the present, when the familiar story ends ... And a myth resurfaces. A monstrous legend. And also ... Giant."

Humanity is divided and taken new forms. Then there were humans, who are known as "Hus", and a strange new species that are called "Mus", mutant creatures better adapted to live in isolated places like deserts. Some of them are human crossings ... With insects, for example. Ew, strange, I know... But Miura makes even things like that to have a specific meaning and he also make the art become strangely peculiar.

After the dramatic opening, Miura starts the story in a desert, with the two protagonists interacting suddenly. At first it seems a rather confusing approach, but it does not take long until you can feel relate to both of them and already feel a certain familiarity, even if there is not much explanation about who they are, where they came from and so on. They are Delos, a small, silly, strong, good-hearted man, and Prome, a mysterious girl with supernatural powers that does not seem to fit very well in the definitions of the existing forms of life.

One thing I think is needed to warn you at this point is that in the same way that the story doesn't contain many detailed explanations, names also do not have. So don't get too stressed with names, just keep reading that it will gradually make sense and the direction is then shown.

Continuing: The two wandered in search of a desert tribe, known as "Scraves", men who are half beetles and can control huge insects. Delos and Prome end up being found by Scraves first. Then, the pair are mistaken for spies of the human empire called Olympus and are taken captive to prove innocence through a struggle of Delos with the strongest warrior of the tribe... Prome is tied to die after the supposed defeat of Delos, however, the fight endures quite a lot: that little Hus clashes with the powerful Mus in a interestingly way of fighting, kinda unusual for manga: wrestling style.

The plot that follows from there is good enough to keep the attention at reading. Wouldn't be fun to tell all the details, mainly because it is a one-shot. So, try to give it a chance!

What I feel that is relevant to comment is: In general, the manga is very well done, well designed (Miura is mainly known for his mastery of the art of drawing), well thought out even for a one-shot, where the plot is always fast. But it was exciting to read some parts of the story like the way that Delos reacted in front of confrontational situations, making him kinda like the perfect and typical example of a true hero. Not the "perfect" hero that often is used, and that means that perfection is not always free of flaws or even aesthetic perfection. There is a logical explanation for kinda everything in the manga, including Delos's way of act, so it's nice to see that there is a deconstruction of the completely-perfect-heroism that we often see in mangas, comic books and even movies. Interestingly, Delos would be the classic Japanese hero style: strong, pure and honorable.

The development of the plot in the manga will always be surprising enough and always giving a positive and impactful shot at the reader, as is the custom of the Miura. Giganto Makhia has however a much lighter and less dense plot that Bersek and even reaches funny parts that are always given by the pair of protagonists. Still, we can not help but notice the social discussion between the lines and of course, the struggles that are at least energizing.

My criticism with the manga is that it has ecchi/loli content... Honestly...I don't like it. But... Wel... What can I do? Manga's creators can be strange people in the end anyway... Many times the key to this problem is to simply ignore. For some people this is not really important, for some this is only funny and for some this is kinda sick. It's up to you to decide.

Finally, I think it is really easy to buy and read Giganto Makhia, since it is a one-shot. I highly recommend this reading to Bersek fans, even if, somehow, the climate is quite different. Still, the influences of previous Miura's work are visible, especially in monsters in battle and the satisfaction of seeing a manga that is a pleasure to read! And it's great that he can also join many readers who have not heard of the author yet to know his amazing style and narrative feature.

My conclusion is that Giganto Makhia is really a manga who worth. The work makes you reflect on many things and has really great characters and a nice art.

So, going to rating:

Story is great, but not very my style. Still, I must admit that deserves a 9. I had a great time reading it.

Art also deserves a 9. Miura like strong traits and sometimes it get scary... I prefer lighter shades. But even being a bit "rough", I think he knows how to work. Prome were sooooo cute I couldn't resist.

Characters definitely deserve 10. I just loved the personality of Delos and I think he ended up becoming one of my favorite heros.

Had a nice enjoyment, but again, it was a bit scary and I like cuter things when reading manga. So, 9.

Overall, couldn't give nothing but Great! (:

This is Kentaro Miura's first original manga in 24 years. Yes Berserk has been around for that long! This is his attempt to portray the world in 100 million years.

Story:8

The story is a fresh look on what the future could turn out to be. It has many questions of what is right and what the best choice is. The only reason I don't give this a perfect score is that it is only 6 chapters long.

Art:10

Miura is undoubtedly one of the best artists in the manga world. The visuals are beautifully drawn and very reminiscent of Berserk's art style with with all the amazing detail ... like in Berserk.

Characters:9

The main character and his companion are a great match for each other. Delos is a reckless and philosophical man who will do anything in order to achieve his goals.
Prome is a a young girl who travels with Delos and heals his injuries.
Their relationship is somewhat similar to Guts and Puck from Berserk.

Enjoyment:10

I loved the story, the characters, the action and the artwork. It is very similar to Berserk in that aspect. The story advances fast and has many plot twists in only 6 chapters.

Overall:9

I loved this manga for all of it's components and memorable story.
The only gripe I have is that is only 6 chapters which leaves many questions unanswered. Hopefully it will be continued later on in the future!

Story:
Fun, but barren. There's clearly a lot to the world of Giganto Makhia, but due to it's limiting 7 chapters, it's unfortunate to see that a lot of this world is left to the imagination.

For a more explicit response to the narrative, it's actually pretty interesting and the characters themselves are all quite engaging. I didn't feel as though anyone was a forced character, and the comedy within it, although strange, is quite enjoyable. There's not a lot to respond to, and the narrative feels unfinished, so I can't help but feel cheated upon finishing the final chapter.


Art:
Miura is fantastic. The only issue is that ... the majority of the story is spent in a desert, and there's not much that can be made to look extravagant or fantastical about endless sand. Other than that, the motions and facial expressions are all pretty fantastic.


Character:
Everyone is likable. I want more. I seriously need more, to be honest. However, Miura must finish with Berserk before he comes back to this (if he ever chooses to do so.)

Everyone's designs are very appealing. Same goes for their personalities. Unfortunately, the page count hinders the potential to watch these characters grow or change shape.


Enjoyment:
I'm glad I picked this up. It felt good to support Miura, as well as see the fruits of his labor during one of the many arduous Berserk hiatuses.


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Giganto Maxia seems to have gotten a bad Rap both in terms of it's rating on this site, and it's reviews elsewhere. Let me say this; this manga does have some obvious problems, but I believe it is fairly enjoyable and decently written.

If you go into this short series expecting an ultra-violent, dark and gritty, edgy series, you will be sadly let down. What I found while reading this that while it does seem a bit generic at points, there are some really fascinating ideas, decent characters, amazing art, and a few really well done fights.

Giganto Maxia is not much when compared to berserk, ... which, in my opinion, is the best manga ever written. From what I have noticed, this endearing little short story by kentaro miura was knocked quite a bit by the community because miura took a break from berserk to write this. While I understand the frustration, I feel like the aforementioned knocking might deter some people from a fairly enjoyable, and overall GOOD story. This isn't to say it doesn't have any flaws though.

Sure, there are weird Loli piss parts that feel uncomfortable, for some people that might be deterring. I was essentially indifferent to this, but I thought the odd uncomfortable nature of these portions, while being very "stereotypical anime-esque", provided a little insight into how weird and just odd prome was, and from what I can tell that was miura's intent.

I think MAL has an inflated scoring system, and there will always be imbalances in the rating system on this site, so I can't really say my opinion or rating means anything. Many people will not (and did not) like this story, and that is ok. I would just suggest that if you go into giganto maxia with a light-hearted approach, you may be in for some fun. I would even go as far to say it is worth buying, as I have it on my own shelf. It is nowhere near as good as berserk, but I think it is severely underrated. I've noticed this under-rating happens a lot with many of osamu tezuka's works, but that is neither here nor there.

As for the bad things, I feel like I am obligated to mention them here because I forgot to mention them in the prior part of my review (sorry!).

There is a heavy use of really dumb, generic sci-fi terms that feel really out of place, and that threw me off at some parts.

Something that is less of a "problem", but more of a wish of mine, is that the series would be longer. If giganto maxia was a long running series, I feel like all of the potential in this little story could be expanded upon greatly.

I've seen a lot of mixed feelings about delos and prome. Generally speaking, I think they are good, but not great. I could understand how someone might not like them, so I won't make any definitive statements.

Basically, giganto maxia is fun and you should at least give it a shot, you might turn out liking it!

Giganto Makhia – Spoiler Free – Recommended

TLDR
Story – 7/10 – 7 x 0.275 = 1,925
Art – 9,5/10 – 9 x 0.2 = 1,9
Characters – 8/10 – 8 x 0.225 = 1,8
Enjoyment – 8/10 – 8 x 0.3 = 2,4
Total: 8,025 -> 8

Story – 7/10
There isn’t much going on in Giganto Makhia’s story. It follows the main characters – Delos and Prome – after they arrive at a desert and meet the Scarabaei. After a quick fight against the champion of the Scarab people, they are attacked by the Empire, their sworn enemies. It is short but full of action, being primarily a depiction of ... the battle and its resolution.
The ending was lacking, too open-ended, and definitely felt rushed. Giganto Makhia’s story looked more like an excuse to make wonderful panels rather than a monument in storytelling.

Art – 9,5/10
Miura‘s definitely one of the best mangaka when it comes to art style. Being written during a hiatus of Berserk, it is normal that both art styles look really alike – especially with some late arcs. In fact, there are magnificent panels in Giganto Makhia, which is remarkable since it is really a short manga. The character design is well done, and they are all recognisable. It is a very easy read that has impeccable fluency.

Characters – 8/10
Characters are likeable and possess more personality than in some other bigger mangas. In all fairness, both Delos and Prome really look like they have been inspired by Guts and Schierke from Berserk, respectively. They are not necessarily original, especially if we know Miura’s work, but they work really well in the team and as a duo. The scarab people – the Scarabaei – are also very well designed.

Enjoyment – 8/10
Giganto Makhia is quite an enjoyable read. It is short and very well drawn, with some epic moments (more than one, which is quite something coming from its only seven chapters). It has, however, one flaw: it is too short. It is a shame that it wasn’t further developed, but it is understandable when overshadowed by Berserk, primus inter pares. It’s definitely a recommended and great (short) work by Master Miura.