The Fable

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WOW! The Fable! This manga packs a bunch of action, humor, and suspense. Meet 'Fable,' a legendary assassin living a dull life in witness protection. But don't let the boredom fool you – when the action kicks in, it's non-stop adrenaline.

What makes 'The Fable' awesome? It's got a hero you'll root for, epic fights, and moments that tug at your heartstrings. Plus, the cast is full of interesting characters, from Fable's sidekick Moko to the mega criminals he faces off against.

If you're into manga that keeps you on the edge of your seat, 'The Fable' is a must-read. It's got amazing and very unique style, ... cool characters, and enough thrills to keep you hooked from start to finish. Trust me, once you dive in, you won't want to put it down!

The Fable es un manga que me gusta más cuando intenta ir por el lado cómico que por el lado más dramático. Pero bueno, es un poco la gracia de esta obra. Se trata de un cómic sobre la experiencia de una persona que intenta huir un poco de su oscuro pasado. En el camino hay momentos de luz y momentos de tensión debido a esos pocos lazos que todavía le quedan con su vida anterior.

Satou es un protagonista interesante que vemos evolucionar a lo largo de 200 capítulos. Aun impasible, su forma de relacionarse con el mundo y su forma de interactuar con otras ... personas mezcla tanto su ética profesional como mentiras como sus sentimientos personales a lo largo de un año. No entiende del todo a la gente y la gente no le entiende del todo a él pero aun así vemos cómo empieza a apreciar una vida tranquila.

Esto es junto a un cast de personajes secundarios más que sólido. Todos muy agradables. Desde bufones, a casamenteros, y acabando con asesinos. Si hay algo en lo que destaca The Fable es en sus personajes y sus relaciones interpersonales. Todos tienen un buen grado de profundidad y son memorables. Y graciosos.

Como he dicho, prefiero a The Fable cuando va en tono de comedia que en tono de acción y drama. Creo que aun sin ser malo, su acción no consigue ser sobresaliente salvo en unas contadas ocasiones. Se abusa mucho de movimientos de manos que el ojo no puede ver del todo bien y los tiroteos no me entusiasman.

Igualmente, en su conjunto, es un manga muy sólido y recomendable. Sus arcos tienen buen ritmo, te engancha fácilmente y creo que tiene un aura personal muy chula. Si quieres un seinen, es muy recomendable.

TL:DR
Unexpectedly light-hearted tale of the a hitman trying to become a normal person - but he needs to escape the past first. This is more of a slice of life (albeit a slice of a very strange life) than action or comedy. However, this is very compelling for a certain kind of person.

Description
Fable is a legendary hitman who has completed numerous jobs for a variety of clients. After concluding his latest assignment, the number of people he has recently killed becomes too high, and Fable is ordered by his boss to lay low for a year. He is suggested that having to adapt to life ... as an ordinary citizen might prove a valuable experience for his future work. 

Fable is to be accompanied by the woman who acts as his driver, and the two will assume new identities as siblings. However, their boss warns them that they will both face a deadly punishment if Fable kills anyone during his time off. Thus begins Akira and Youko Satou's joint one-year sabbatical from the underworld.

Story: 6/10
The manga is very light-hearted. Despite the characters professions (hitmen and yakuza) or the seriousness of the situation, the manga manages to retain that fun atmosphere with a well-placed joke or just by the nonchalant behaviour of the characters themselves. It avoids the edginess that bogs down similar manga. This is portrayed with the characters too, it's always so casual that it never really enters the readers mind that the situation is serious and it keeps the fun atmosphere going.

I can't tell if this is supposed to be a comedy or action. The manga does very well on the build up actually, creating tension and a sense of the stakes while building to a satisfying climax. And then it fumbles at the end. The fights are just bad. Satou is an uber-badass who does everything without effort. Somehow the manga get's less tense when guns are drawn, because we know exactly how it will play out. The fist fights are also terrible (and I speak more on this in the art section). Keeping in mind that comedy is even more subjective than other tastes, I just did not find the manga funny. Most of the jokes are very basic: look he made a funny face, he admires this guy a lot wow, etc. They're all very basic jokes repeated ad nauseum.

Honestly though? I don't think it matters. This manga isn't comedy nor action, it's a slice of life in a truest sense. Following these strange people along their lives is so interesting. Even if the destination never lives up to expectations, the journey is worth it.

Character 8/10
The author really sell the fact that the characters are hitmen, they treat the scenarios they're thrust into so nonchalantly that it becomes obvious that these are everyday occurrences for them. It's a very compelling characterisation that rises above the typical over-the-top angst you may expect from the premise. The alien way they approach mundane occurrences is what makes this manga enjoyable.

The author refuses to soften or romantise the characters either, showing you exactly what a yakuza or hitman gets up to. Despite their profession, they are still very endearing and just so human, they have concerns and interests and relationships. Even the antagonists aren't just cackling villains, they make sensible decisions and they miscalculate. The writing is so good that the enjoyment comes from following their lives and the interactions of the cast.

Honestly, my least favourite was Satou, he's too stoic and barely reacts to anything happening. This makes sense considering his profession but it leads his character to be a little bland. Another thing is that he's too nice, he's supposed to be this cold killer, but he already behaves like an overprotective older brother. Would have been nice for him to be able to grow during the manga.

The rest of the cast is best experienced than talked about, it's hard to capture what makes them so compelling in words.

Art
The art is fantastic and gets you immersed in the manga. The artist goes for high amount of realism, with lots of detail in each character making. Despite avoiding exaggerated character designs, the characters are all very recognisable.

The backgrounds are extremely detailed, it makes the world feel very “lived in”. They look more like photos than drawn art.

The characters are not very visually expressive however, rarely showing emotion visually and only then for comedic effect.

Combat is disappointing, fist fights are just blurs on the page - literally, the arms are just a blur, I looked at these panels closely and I struggle to say what is actually happening in the fights. There aren't any schematic shots or dramatic running fights. People primarily just stand there and either wave there arms around or point guns. The characters are completely static and it's dreadfully dull. The final, climactic showdown at the end of the manga is ruined by the fact that it looks so bloody stupid that I can't take it seriously. It's very disappointing for an artist that clearly pays great attention to detail.

Overall 7/10
From the reviews I was expecting a riotous comedy and I was disappointed but I kept reading and I'm glad I did. The character writing on the manga is great and so the plot is good to, even if the author always fumbles the climaxes.

I don't think this manga is for everyone, it's a very character driven manga without much action and the comedy isn't top quality. However, if you just want to follow the short story of some interesting people, this is the manga for you.