It's funny how this works. The Fable's subject matter is something that'd be par for the course in Japanese pop culture of the 60s, the 70s, or even the 80s. But today, in 2022, it feels so out of place it once again becomes a breath of fresh air. There's nothing quite like it in the current media landscape, making any meaningful comparison extremely challenging—and, frankly, unneeded: its storytelling accomplishments stand firmly on their own legs.
The Fable's premise and narrative style occupy an unlikely middle ground between a classic sitcom and a dead-serious film noir. It tells a story of a pair of elite hitmen
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 Alternative TitlesJapanese: ザ・ファブル More titlesInformationType: Manga
Volumes: 22
Chapters: 240
Status: Finished
Published: Nov 1, 2014 to Nov 18, 2019
Theme:
Organized Crime
Demographic:
Seinen
Serialization:
Young Magazine (Weekly) Authors:
Minami, Katsuhisa (Story & Art) Statistics Ranked: #1372 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #371
Members: 45,611
Favorites: 1,424 Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 20 / 22
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Jul 11, 2022
With the fan translation of this manga finally complete, I can write a full review of this series with my complete thoughts on the manga as a whole.
Story: 10. The story of Akira Satou's assignment to leave his assassin ways behind him takes us through several dark and dangerous situations passed on as completely mundane annoyances or inconveniences. Conflicts are constantly born out of the simple desires of the antagonists, who treat their actions with careful planning and calm cruelty. The story works because of this. The seeming banal response of the characters and even the story itself to what is normally considered tense and suspenseful ... 
Oct 15, 2017
A professional hitman having to live as a normal person for 1 year, already original. My first impression was quite good, interesting story and introduction of the main character Fable, who is quite the badass. This is going to be a simple review as not much is currently out for The Fable in English.
Story: 9 The story struck me before I had even read because of its originality and it's a seinen which makes it semi-serious and appealing to the older demographic but still has its satire going with the story. Art: 7 The art varies to me as at some points it is very well drawn and ... 
Jul 13, 2022
10/10 honestly just because I can't think of anything that really detracts from it.
Perfect balance of comedy and hard boiled plot. The funny parts had me laughing out loud, and the serious parts are compelling. Solid pace and plot. Well rounded and pretty satisfying ending, which I find to be super rare. Great, interesting, likeable characters; it doesn't dive deep into their past and psyche, but they're all well rounded with consistent personalities/development. Well drawn realistic style that you don't see as much these days (or maybe I'm just reading the wrong things.) Sure, the backgrounds look kinda clip studio paint-ish, but this is a more ... 
Jun 19, 2023
The Fable uses a well-rounded way of building up the action and letting it flow from panel to panel without any hiccups. I never felt lost and always knew what was going on. The mangaka's approach to building suspense must be highlighted. Letting the reader experience memorable moments in thoughtfully spaced intervals, giving hints of what might happen next, and then it all comes together until you reach the peak of the current arc and it feels quite rewarding.
The story is full of sensitive topics like exploitative prostitution, abuse, stalking, even attempted rape is used to drive the plot. Quite a lot of heavy topics, ... 
Nov 30, 2020
This right here boys and girls is a masterpiece and those who say otherwise or compare it to the similarities in western culture movies about hit mans staying low, don`t really see the beauty of this work and don`t really get deep enough to the story and how it is written.
This is by no means simple manga. This has many many layers of complexity going on and a reader just go through those layers, some do notice that, others don`t and only concentrate on shallow bits of the story. I am not gonna write much about the story line, because you can ... 
Aug 5, 2022
“Forget number there’s no rating high enough for him.”
- Yamaoka, The Fable. Just as the word from one of the antagonists in this series, these words alone sum up the whole Manga. The Fable has been one of the best Manga ever created on my list. I still remember that night in the cinema hall of the Japanese Film Festival in India in 2020 where I first watched The Fable ( Live Action ). It was the best night of all and after some months I found out that this movie was a Manga adaptation that completely changed my life and now here I am. The Fable is ... 
Feb 21, 2024
It's hard not to oversell something I consider perfect.
Hitmen. The concept of being employed to kill a human being. Money for a life, violence, done by any means. Intelligence in the art of killing. I love the exploration on what hitmen do from a variation standpoint. I've seen many iterations of the concept in tragedy movies with their tragic hitman. The funny one, the unflinching one, the absolutely horrific one. However, there are two hitmen in fiction that explore something way more profound, while dressing themselves as a some of the funniest comedies I've ever seen. “Barry”, and “The Fable” are about artists at their ...
Sep 13, 2021
This manga has me debating whether or not I should read the raws and start to learn Japanese lol. 91 Chapters in and I'm definitely going to finish when it's all translated. The Fable takes no time in getting you hooked on Satou's dark and somewhat innocent existence.
Story: 8 The initial hook of the story is extremely strong, it's a very original take on hitman/gangster manga that leaves a lot of room for great comedy as well as thrilling Yakuza fighting. The B plots are generally not as entertaining as whatever Fable is up to, but it's a necessary exposition to get the story where it ... 
Aug 31, 2023
the best manga i have read so far.
story is gripping, some might think its cliche, but personally i had no gripes with it and everything happened for a reason. the characters are excellent, very well written and very believable. 10/10 art style MIGHT be hard for some people to get into, but once you start reading it enhances the experience. the body language, realistic look and just the sheer cleanness of the art makes it top tier in my books. 10/10 pacing is just right, i never got bored once i started reading. didn't have any parts where i felt like i was wasting time or felt frustrated. ... 
Aug 13, 2020
This manga starts off with an original, but cliche concept of a professional hitman trying to lay low in society for a year and become a "normal" citizen. While this trope is cliche in Western culture, what particularity drew me in was its Japanese perspective of a pro hitman trying to become normal.
Story: 6 In Western culture, the whole hitman concept of trying to live a normal life has been done numerous times. The only real enjoyment I got from this series was its Japanese perspective on criminal syndicates and how crime culture of Japan was portrayed in manga form. Art: 8 Backgrounds look dull and boring, ... 
Jul 15, 2022
I don't give 10's (and never will again).
This is a 10. Each chapters makes you laugh to no end while also being with cool art, action and overall a good story. The hit-team duo is made up of the most eccentric people possible and watching them overcome any problems or daily situations is simply a treat for itself, and the way they're written makes it clear as day who they are and how it shapes them in every way possible The art had a distinct and almost realistic look; almost as if it were photographed and traced over (plus stylistic takes). The shadings and facial expressions ... 
Jul 20, 2021
Intro -
In the realm of manga where annoying characters exist (Shinji Ikari) and chapters where it is just battle after battle after battle; things become very exhausting where it is the same piss willy character who is way too kind and I constantly face-palm through my brain. This is where "The Fable" truly shines with its unique cast, art, and story. A seinen slice-of-life type of manga which is pretty damn rare when you look at the amount of manga in this garbage website. It has a certain absurdist feel to it which makes me relate to it to some degree; a type which Quentin ... 
Nov 12, 2022
A hidden gem driven by incredible characters, refreshing artwork, and a compelling story.
The Fable is a must read because it manages to humanize the criminal underworld, creating a beautiful juxtaposition between good and evil that ultimately has the reader emotionally, physically, and mentally attached to morally gray yet relatable characters. While overall a serious manga, The Fable is surprisingly funny at times and will surely elicit a wide range of emotions from readers. If anything, read The Fable because it makes the transformation of the main character from the most deadly and emotionless professional hitmen into a freelance children's book illustrator believable. 10/10 would ... 
Jan 25, 2023
A breath of fresh air.
I started reading this manga around 2/3 years ago. It was missing more than half of the characters so when I reached the last available one I dropped it (like I always do). But I was sure I was going to come back and finish it. Now that I was able to read though the entire thing I can say that I couldn't be more happy to have kept my promise. This manga was amazing and I loved every single chapter of it. The artwork, the characters, and above all else the concept. There's a sequel already and I'm probably doing the same ...
Jul 25, 2022
I'm thinking of a way how to describe my experience, the only thing that's coming up to my mind is that this manga brought me to a WHOLESOME experience. You may wonder how a manga about a hitman can be described as WHOLESOME but honestly that is how this manga made me felt. The characters are very well written, the antagonists are unique and interesting as well. Every side characters had their fair share of good times too! (Especially Kuro! And the Boss at Octopass).
You know it's a good manga when you gets sad as you count the last remaining chapters Thank you for ... 
Apr 18, 2024
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 ...
Apr 19, 2024
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, ... 
Oct 27, 2022
I said before that this manga was interested in the outcasts, that it looked at ordinary Japan, but this is not its only strength, in truth, this manga has in addition to the qualities previously stated a strength of line, a dynamism, a humor almost without equal, The Fable is like a girl who makes us tremble without really knowing why, this girl at the antipode of what we would normally appreciate, but to whom we can't help thinking. It is a warm manga, but sometimes extremely cold in its relationships and in its features, its sketch. It is a total success and a very
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Feb 26, 2023
Its rare to see a manga that writes characters passably, let alone well. For the average manga you have to suspend your disbelief and pretend that the anime world with all its tropes is actually a real alternate dimension in order to tolerate it. However, the author of the fable actually can write people. Yes, the cold blooded killer main character is leagues more human than your average protag, and the character writing quality is not even close. The art is fantastic, the story is fantastic, and the characters and relationships are phenomenal, not just for a manga or anime, but in general. You won't
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