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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Edge of Tomorrow

Japanese: All You Need Is Kill

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 2

Chapters: 17

Status: Finished

Published: Jan 9, 2014 to May 29, 2014

Genres: Action, Sci-Fi

Themes: Military, Time Travel

Demographic: Seinen

Serialization: Young Jump

Authors: Obata, Takeshi (Art), Sakurazaka, Hiroshi (Story), Takeuchi, Ryousuke (Story)

Statistics

Score: 7.76¹ (scored by 72,071 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #1496²

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

Popularity: #88

Members: 134,383

Favorites: 2,961

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Reviews

Filtered Results: 36 / 39

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Nov 12, 2021

BakaBoysClub

Mixed Feelings

A 5 may seem harsh but hear me out. This is good if you are now getting into manga. This is good if you don't think about it after you are done (which I have done many times, it's not a bad thing). But if you have a bit of reading experience behind you and if you reflect on the 17 chapters... you will be in the exact same spot as me.

I have done a whole video review on this. If you feel like it, you can see that from my profile.

Now to elaborate on my earlier point.

Story - 6
If you haven't experienced ... the concept of time loops in media before you will have a good time, it's a genuinely fun shtick and the manga even improves a bit on that. Our main guy has to do a bunch of mini-quests (get better equipment etc.) to help him escape for the time loop and in that it kinda feels like a roguelike. But apart from that neat idea, everything is pretty standard and generic with a few plotholes for spice.

Art - 8
Now, this is tricky since there are some GORGEOUS pages in here but at the same time, most of this looks very plain and uninspired. By that, I don't mean it's not good it is always presented in a very professional way... which sadly is very generic on its own (r u seeing the pattern?). Still gets an 8 for those amazing spreads tho.

Characters - 7
Even if the time was very limited the 2 main characters were very well presented and really had something... that didn't last long and wasn't properly expanded upon. But again since they were able to make them so personable in 17 chapters this is a pretty big achievement if you ask me. Side characters don't really feel like characters they feel like checkpoints but that's pretty understandable and I don't hold it against the manga. But the broad with the glasses was annoying and that I hold against the manga.

Enjoyment - 7
While I was reading this it was very engaging for what it was. And even after I started thinking and realized this was very very shallow I still didn't feel like I was robbed of my time or anything. I am glad I read this.

Overall - 5
However, after I reflected on this whole thing I can't be honest and give it anything more than a 6 and that's on a good day the rest of the time this is perfect "Mediocre". I believe that is because this is an adaptation of a novel and most things simply weren't properly adapted.

If you are bored have free 30 minutes you can read this and who knows maybe you will like it more than I did (but if you got this far into the review you probably won't... sorry about that).

Jul 24, 2021

Qxutie

Recommended

Time loop,
Alien infested world,
Weak to strong,
Women aren’t cannon fodder,
All the points that interested me in reading “All You Need Is Kill“.

For the most part, it was a good story. Keiji Kiriya was forced into a tough spot and he had to find a way out of it.. That’s interesting yeah? Only 17 chapters aren’t enough to satisfy the hunger I was feeling. To learn more about the mimics, the time loop, the other characters, Kiriya‘s training cycle. I wanted more but unfortunately couldn’t get it as the story was filled into only these chapters.

What DID make me satisfied in this story though ...

Dec 28, 2023

Mackenchu

Recommended

I haven't seen the movie first, or at all, so I had no expectations going into this story. I felt interested in what was happening the entire time, and despite it being short I felt like I was given a lot. Unlike in many of these sort of stories, his feelings for Rita didn't feel misplaced or forced, and the twists didn't feel obvious. Though there was an open ending, I wasn't unsatisfied or upset, I felt fulfilled and okay with it. I don't NEED a continuation, but if there was one I'd happily read it. I highly recommend this, it doesn't take much ...

May 11, 2020

ST63LTH

Recommended

[Lots of Spoilers] TL;DR It is definitely worth the read despite being non colored.
EST. read time: 1hr 5m

Story: 9/10
Stories featuring a Predestination paradox concept are not fun to experience, some might even consider them to be worse than experiencing death. In the Manga "All you need is Kill", we follow a Soldier of the "United Defense Force" - a Intercontinental Warfare Alliance comprised of several nations fighting against a common enemy, Mimic. Mimic are a sea urchin-like life form that consume the richness of any environment and leaving behind deserts or swamp like fluids; it isn't revealed in the beginning but as the ... story progresses it is revealed that the cause of the Predestination paradox is due to the configuration of the intelligent life form. Keiji, who experiences trauma while enduring the effects of the Mimics powers uses the ability to manipulate time to train, learn and adapt among the different iterations or 'loops' in order to find an outcome that determines the shifting force of the battle.

Naturally, humanity's most feared enemy is an enemy that possesses an adaptive cognitive disposition. That being said, in this universe a life form that has the ability to overpower humanity and indiscriminately consume life is frightening. All You Need to Kill explains this concept in only 17 Chapters, although not enough to develop deeper than the surface level, it does end with a BANG. The story line is not complex or utilizes narrative components to enhance the perspective of the story teller but it does an amazing job of revealing detail by detail provoking the reader with new information that wouldn't have been hinted to prior. My main squabble with the story is the ending, the ending is bitter sweet and ends in the style of "There is a lot of work to be done, I'll have to replace Rita in order to relive the horrifying loops" In this case, there is no true ending which leaves many provoking questions unanswered. Overall, such a great execution of the Predestination paradox and butterfly effect.

Art: 6/10
I'm not a fan of Manga primarily because of the outdated anti-mobile layout and especially considering it was made for the intention of being printed. However, besides that the art is consistent and very detailed - Every scene has been planned out and drawn with heavy consideration for light-source. The mobile suits also have great attention to detail even during actions scenes where spikes piercing through the battlefield impale the personnel. The environmental design where the battle occurs looks like a beach frontal assault which is a bad-ass premise for an apocalyptic-dystopian setting. Major Flaw, Manga panel layouts are outdated ~ Manhwa/Webtoon mobile layouts are in-dated.

Character: 8/10
Although the main attention of character development is on Keiji, there is a chapter + half dedicated to re-telling Rita's childhood against the flow of the Mimics and also her previous battle (I assume the blonde guy was also stuck in the loop, and Rita was able to leave the loop because he died - Because of the method he used by talking about random topics and the fact that he had become a powerhouse force against the mimics
which is a VERY rare occurrence) The details of the development in both main characters is surface level but considering the development only occurred in the latter half of the Manga showed how ambitious the premise-setting was.

This is a more satisfying and rewarding style of character development instead of those overused reincarnated characters remembering an entire Martial Arts Nascent Grade Skill Manual and selling pill refining formulas. It also had great pace, not too rushed and not too slow.

Enjoyment: 7/10
Definitely would like this to be adapted into an anime or even extended into a full series of Mobile-supported webmanga. There is a lot of drive for ambition but since this is an older and probably discontinued piece of ancient Manga history it probably won't be getting a reboot.

Dec 25, 2019

Joel_Loiselle

Recommended

I found this title in a comic shop after watching "Edge of Tomorrow (2014)" and was curious about how similar the plot was. This one is not something everyone will enjoy, the story doesn't make all the promises a Hollywood film does, and won't tie everything off with a bow, but if you're okay with that It's worth the read. While some themes are the same as the movie the execution and writing are different.

The plot will take you through a journey where the main characters will sacrifice everything about their personality is worn away other than their will to live and save their planet, ...

Feb 7, 2018

AJ

Recommended

i picked this up one day and read it in 1 sitting, honestly took my by surprise how good it is. no spoilers its about a guy whose about to go into a battle war zone the next day but he keeps dying in battle only to wake up in bed and find out its still the day before battle, the goal is to figure out why or how this is happening. it really keeps you interested in seeing all the different methods that are tried. character development isnt really there except for the MC though. its a good pick up if you have extra ...

Mar 17, 2021

LIDLWIPE

Recommended

I will keep this nice and simple The art is a seven because combat at times seemed messy to me and hard to make out but characters looked good and the environment. The story and characters get a 7 because it focuses on the Main char way to much for my liking when they could maybe have gotten more moments with the others and the story seems kind of rushed like the ending came outta nowhere and i am just not a fan of it and maybe would have liked to have seen how other areas around the world where effected rather than then just ...

Apr 6, 2019

TheGostoso

Recommended

It's a good manga, short, interesting, with good characters. I love the theme of dying and coming back and staying in this loop for quite some time while learning to survive creating a better ending. I saw this in Re: zero and in the movie in which this manga was based "Edge of Tomorrow". I liked the ending, seriously, not so much of the reason for it, but it was a good ending. I also think that it could have been bigger, after all it is that kind of story that does not need a continuation (if the problem had in fact been solved). Anyway, ...

Jan 9, 2023

Tolstoevsky

Recommended

Able to be finished in 2 hours, pulls you in from the very beginning, concise, enticing, fulfilling... There are flaws, but there is also no excuse for you not reading this manga if you haven't already.

Originally, All You Need Is Kill is a book written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka in 2004. This manga is the adaptation of said work serialised ten years later, the same year when Edge of Tomorrow, the movie based on the same book, came to theatres. I've never read the original book (I could thou), but I've read the manga twice. In my opinion, this is one of prime examples showing how ... a simple concept carries the narrative. There is no reason one shouldn't read it: it can be started and finished in one sitting; it's entertaining throughout its duration; it has astounding art; great moments and attention to detail... It has its flaws, but with how little it asks from the reader, I don't see a way one could complain.

From the very first page the impression grew strong. The opening scene is haunting. The entire first chapter sets up both the premise and aim of the story so well. Boredom was the last thing I felt when finishing a chapter. Keiji makes progress in every issue, causing each page to resemble a step closer to the solution. Never will it feel like the manga is dragging itself or needlessly digressing; it knows it's goal and has its eyes set on it. All in this work serves its purpose.

The setting is restrictive and characters few, but it doesn't make the story stale. The entire place is a stage with all the necessary tools for solving the problem present; all there is left is to execute the play perfectly. Of course, there will be hurdles along the way that Keiji will have to overcome. This is where All You Need Is Kill shines. Keiji's way of solution mirrors the reader's logic. There will never be a discrepancy between the two; every choice feels sensible. You have a playing field with infinite amount of time: no matter how bizarre an idea might be, if it is plausible, it is worth considering. It's about constant rehearsal and repetition (reminiscent of games like Hotline Miami and Katana Zero). My only complaint here is that I would like if the setting forced Keiji to make even more bold manoeuvres to show how much he can hone his execution.

Alongside his skills and perception, Keiji himself changes. War and death take a toll on anyone's character, let alone a newcomer such as Keiji (not taking into account the circumstances he's been put under). From a scared and naive soul to a melancholic and decisive veteran, the change is to be undoubted. Witnessing demise is one thing; witnessing it to the point you become indifferent to it is another. Thou, I will say there is inconsistency. Seeing Keiji, despite everything, keeping that softer side to him knows to be heart-warming, but most of the time it just erupts. It ruins the feeling of progression and this character scarred by cold ambition to end his suffering.

I'd also say this work loses a fair amount of its charm on re-read. Some faults aren't easily seen when you are driving through the pages enticed by the story, but they are very much present when solely judging the work. I'll touch upon some:
- The concept could have very easily been expanded upon. Some factors and tools feel shallowly used, while others don't get enough attention to feel like we've fully exhausted that option.
- I would love if Keiji strayed more and took wrong routes; the way the story is written, he is set on a right path from the beginning, all he has to do is to reach the end of it. Making him wander adds to the depth of not only the problem, but the setting and character also.
- Expanding on the struggles concerning his mental state and psyche would be welcome. He is a human after all, frail as any other; he is put in a situation many would see as hopeless and depressing. Seeing how he copes would add a lot.
- Next to Rika, the side cast is weak. They could be given more time; especially considering Keiji has an abundance of it. Also, Keiji occasionally has some weaker deliveries.
- The Mimics also lose the feeling of threat as the story progresses. They don't lose their sense of brutality, but it would be great if the manga played more with the reader's curiosity regarding them. Prime example is how Attack on Titan expands upon the concept of titans.
-If you are someone who likes sci-fi or science in general, the more you think about the premise, the more it gets shaky.
Ultimately, my complaints would be solved if the work was longer, having more time to dedicate to specific aspects. Maybe some things were left out from the book due to length limitations. But again, it being short has its charms: mainly it never lets the pacing slow down, and it asks less from the reader in terms of time management. In a medium where works go over 200 chapters easily, this can be seen as a great selling point.

The last part, however, feels great. There is a scent of naiveness complemented with a touch of childishness. It shines of hope. Cherishment of a concrete moment, fear of losing it, knowing you will never experience it again on that very same way. And then the climax, alongside the absolute killer art style, stellar action choreography and scenery, topped off with a fulfilling ending calling back upon many fine details mentioned in both dialogue and story leading up to it... Simple, yet amazing finish.

Lastly, what is the art like? I will only say: Takeshi Obata. If that does not yet assure you, he is the illustrator of both Death Note and Bakuman. Need I say more? The art is meticulous. If you know his previous work, you might be sceptical if his style fits a more army and mechanical setting such as this one, but oh man, saying it fits the aesthetic is putting it lightly, as it does so much more. The shading is peak performance, often uses hatching (technique where you shade with lines). It expresses the tone of scenery perfectly, the last act demonstrating that beautifully. So many great panels to remember and marvel at. Praise across the board here.

I believe most will find at least something of value while reading this title. Despite its flaws, you won't easily notice them on the first read, especially if the story reels you in. Even if you don't find any charm in it, it's only 17 chapters, you aren't losing anything. It is a piece of art that has its wider influence for a reason. I personally really enjoyed it. I fully recommend All You Need Is Kill.

Thank you for reading up to this point. I wish you all the very best. Kind regards.

Apr 10, 2023

Sun_Rodriguez

Recommended

There is an adaptation of this story made by Hollywood, so finding out that the source material is actually a Japanese light novel, I became very interested. So, I read the manga, and before I say how great the story is, I'll start with what I liked the most: the BEAUTIFUL artwork.
The battles give incredible feelings when looking at those drawings, and even in the "quiet" moments, the characters are not drawn in a complex way, but still, the drawing style is beautiful. There's something magical about that drawing style that I can't explain. Maybe it's something normal, but when it's next to that ...

Jun 23, 2023

Videnti1m

Recommended

All You Need Is Kill” is a science fiction work that presents a creative idea: a soldier who relives the same day of battle against an alien invasion every time he dies. With each loop, he learns new skills and strategies to try to change his fate. However, the work does not take full advantage of its potential and ends up being superficial. Still, it is a fun and exciting read for those who like works that play with the concept of temporal loop, such as the movie “Edge of Tomorrow”, which was inspired by it.

The manga stands out for its well-made art, with highly ...

Aug 23, 2023

7038634357

Recommended

Since having heard several years ago that the Hollywood movie Edge of Tomorrow came from a manga, I’ve wanted to read it. After all, manga to film adaptations don’t have a reputation for quality, yet Edge of Tomorrow is great. It turns out we have quite a lot different between the manga All You Need is Kill and the movie, with each being good in their own rights. Both versions understand their mediums.

All You Need is Kill isn’t a spectacular manga. It’s a simple though interesting concept: human soldier finds himself trapped in a loop in the fight against aliens invading Earth. He goes to ...

May 4, 2018

CrystalAnimeTear

Mixed Feelings

Note: I also wrote this review on Goodreads under the name Animelove24 but it is my review.

All You Need Is Kill is a manga drawn by Takeshi Obata(the same guy who did Death Note and Bakuman) based on the light novel by the same name written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. In it the main character Keiji is in the army trying to defeat a group of aliens called Mimics who have come to take over Earth. During his first battle, Keiji is seemingly killed by a Mimic but somehow wakes up the next day. This is repeated a few times before he realizes in order to ... get out of the loop he must defeat the Mimics and the story is basically him running around training and trying to go through the same day over and over without dying. It's like Groundhog Day but with aliens.

I found the story over all to be a fun little adventure story. It was funny at parts like with the sour plum eating contest, and heartwarming in others, such as wheb Rita and Keiji find, what I'll call their "common ground" without giving away spoliers. We also see the main character, whose very relatable in his quest to just live, grow as a person and push himself to his physical limits. It's also fun to watch him go through all the same things everyday. While it does exhaust him a lot after a while it's pretty funny to see him know everything that's going to happen, especially when he uses that knowledge to sneak past a bunch of guards. Keiji is also strong willed and I like the even after over 50 loops he still hasn't given up and doesn't even go off of his mission for a second even though he very well ould and it'd be understandable. I liked Rita as well. She definitely a badass as the only one whose known to been able to take down the Mimics in combat and she walks around carrying a giants axe that ways a couple tons so she's pretty tough. But she also has a softer side as we get to see in her backstory. Rita loves her family and her friends and is shown to be just a regular girl at heart. She's stubborn, she cries, loves jewellery likes to have fun as shown in the cafeteria scene and that's what I really enjoyed about her character. I like it when writers create female characters who have all kinds of different facets to their personalities and aren't just the stoic, unfeeling, bitchy type characters we usually get; she is called The Full Metal Bitch but she's also called The Valkyrie so it evens out. That all being said, I hated what became of her after she and Keiji have their "bonding moment". She just becomes the love interest after that and has no real character besides at the end which I won't spoil, but it's a bunch of crap.

The artstyle is well done. Takeshi Obata is also very detailed with his work and has his own in dividual style which a lot of sharp lines and hard edges which is different to see inanineor manga. It's part of what made Death Note stand out more than it already did. He also does good with movement especially with hair. It actually moves like real hair and seems silky and smooth. He also didn't great with making Keiji look exhausted from all the hard work he was putting in to defeating the Mimics. He looked exhausted and like he was about to break and just the way the eyes were drawn and the bags under them made me feel tried just looking at him. I also liked the interpretations of the mech suits and the Mimics. The suits looked sufficiently heavy as well as the axes and the Mimics looked like what the Langoliers should have looked like. Terrifying monster balls with teeth that look like they're oozing evil. I will say on downside is all the action scenes. I'm not sure if it's just the style of manga books overall or if it's that Obata doesn't draw action that often but I found it hard to really tell what was going on half the time. The characters would start doing something and then the next panel would be them doing somethibg completely different with no inbetween panels. This was especially prevalent in the final two battles. Overall I do enjoy Obata's art however but perhaps he should stick with doing the more person centric stories.

Other things I didn't like besides the action scenes and the way Rita was treated as a character were...well there's really only two things. #1 The ending. The ending was a load of bullshit. Without saying any spoilers, it makes sure Rita definitely not pass the Mako Mori test, if you catch my drift. She's such a cool character and to be reduced to THAT pisses me off. It also brings my to #2. The whole thing with the Mimic antenna makes no goddamn sense. Here's where it's going to get into spoilers, so if you don't want to read those, skip to the 👍(this includes ending spoilers). Okay so here it's goes. If whomever kills the antenna Mimic in their first loop slowly becomes an antenna over many different loops, made known by a headache one gets when becoming one, Rita should have never been able to leave her loop without the Mimics winning that battle and leaving her alive. Because the way it is explained in the story, is that the only way to get out of a loop is to ultimately kill all the antennas after destroying a bunch of other parts of the Mimic army, and Rita was an antenna during that time then she should have been stuck there forever because killing the antenna ultimately also restarts the loop so she couldn't kill herself. Therefore the only way to win an battle with antenna type Mimics is to let them win because that is the only way the loop stops. That also brings me to the bullshit ending where Keiji and Rita have to fight to the death because they have to kill all of the antenna but they're both antennas because they've both gotten the headaches for this loop and therefore there was no reason for Rita to fucking die because they shouldn't have been able to get out of that loop. What I'm saying really, in shortened terms, is that either the Mimics should have won that battle a longtime ago or Rita should be stuck in her first loop forever. I don't know if it's explained better in the books or not but here that whole thing makes no sense.

👍 Okay spoilers are officially over. Time for the end thoughts. Overall I did enjoy reading this book. Like I've said, I liked the artstyle, the story is an interesting look at what someone might do if the were stuck in the same day forever and the characters are fun to watch. There are a couple nitpicks here and there and two big nitpicks near the end of the book, but in the end if was a fun adventure to go on and makes me want to read the actual book and see the Tom Cruise movie. I probably won't read it again just because it's not really my genre but for anyone whose really unit sci-fi I'd say give it a whirl.

Feb 26, 2023

Jaitnium

Mixed Feelings

There isn't much so say because there aren't that many chapters. The story doesn't feel that deep.

To me the entire story was built around the climax, but it still manages to come off as contrived. In my opinion, these types of finales only work over much MUCH longer stories. While the conclusion is a bit surprising, I don't think it's that effective.

The art is absolutely gorgeous, but I find the antagonists boring. Only two characters matter so they're the only ones who get development. Once again, the reason development is given is to service the climax. Due to the nature of the story there isn't ...

Jan 24, 2022

stefxstefani

Not Recommended

If there's one thing i hate the most, it's the contextualization of the story through exposition in a visual medium. It's poor storytelling first and foremost, and unnecessary when you have the ability to tell a much more compelling story through pictures and dialogue. Why is the narrator explaining this? And who is he/she explaining it to? I'm also not sure if 'All You Need Is Kill' is a pioneer of this story structure, but i wasn't a fan, felt generic in the purest sense. The paneling makes it hard to follow a lot of what is going on in the story, which is unfortunate ...

Jun 20, 2022

yamomwtf

Not Recommended

Funny

I absolutely love the Edge of Tomorrow movie so I thought I'd read this and I just wanna say this shlt was A SS. The ending was just sooooooo awful I'm disappointed in my self for reading that. The movie did that shlt wayyyyy better. It's actually confusing how the movie turned this into something so great. Please go watch the movie if you like this so you can see how much better it is.

Kingdom negs lolololololol

How long does this review have to be? I've written all that there needs to be written.

I absolutely love the Edge of Tomorrow movie so I thought I'd read ...