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More than your ordinary humdrum peek into the merciless world of Yakuza. It is, by all means electric, even if its momentum abruptly weakens towards the end. The entire piece is carried on the main character's back. His impenetrable personality and idealism devoid of circuitousness make him an anomaly of a character, albeit appearance-wise possesses a faint resemblance to his predecessors.

It had an abundance of fertile soil to create a formidable piece of a character study, but the lack of proper care caused it to -- unfortunately -- wither away. Nonetheless, a work worth one's time even if disappointment is unavoidable.

A one-trick pony with uncanny performance, albeit doesn't quite achieve that wow moment. The outre' presentation is simply sidelined by an unremarkable plot carried out by vapid characters. There is little enjoyment to be drawn from it since it appears to be flummoxed about what it wants to be, while at the same time encapsulated into an impassionate and cold surface whose cracks offer hardly any surprises.

Examples of a simple story spiced up by a crafty execution are out there, but this one does not meet the criteria. That is unless the attempt itself makes it worthwhile in someone's book.

Mayhap a bit of a wink, or a pat on the shoulder for all the Hokuto no Ken enthusiasts out there, albeit it could also be seen as a shameless utilization of an already known-to-work formula. Whichever of the two is more plausible, it matters little in terms of improvement for narrative mediocrity.

There's a bit of an educational input based on the fact that the work is centered around the Edo Period. However, that realism quickly diminishes once the characters demonstrate supernatural skills and survivability. Not to say that the panels of heads blown to pieces do not offer diabolical satisfaction, but at a ... certain moment it merely becomes comical.

The art screams Tetsuo Hara in every way. Grandiose anatomy, soft facial features, overblown depictions of violence. It is ever so familiar. With characters that exemplify their manliness via compassion and friendship, as opposed to toxic masculinity that one would expect on a first look.

All in all, a work of equivocal memorability for newcomers, and a mere snack for those already familiar with Tetsuo Hara.

Faced with continuous atrocities performed by their feudal lord it is only a matter of time before someone decides to take justice into their own hands. Such a task befalls a peasant with no aptitude for martial arts, who instead carries out a meticulous plan for ruination of his oppressor.

This descent into merciless times of feudal Japan has an almost opera-like feel to it. With characters that lack any memorable individuality but instead represent the collective oppression. There is some parallelism between this fictional world and that of today's, albeit not to such an extreme extent, but in the author's time it was most ... likely a provocative jab to the system.

The style is a heavy reminiscence of Tezuka's idiosyncrasies. Yet Sanpei's characters have more of a realistic feel to them accompanied by unique facial expressions. Peculiarly, it feels as if it was a horror work at certain parts due to splendidly depicted dread accomplished by deliberate inkiness. There seems to be a prevalent motif of wind in this work, perhaps to be interpreted as an unstoppable force of nature determined to follow its path or an obstacle that peasants ultimately have to overcome.

This is one of many works which cemented Sanpei's status as a revolutionary, albeit it is questionable how well can it cope with the tastes of today based on its historical relevance only. Not to say that it doesn't have certain innovativeness in the way how it handles its pursuit of justice, but all in all it will sit better with a more explorative audience.

An abominable attempt at a remake of the already questionable source material. Think of it as a sacrificial lamb that created a path for a more famous work of this author.

The supposed provocativeness of the plot is based on "perversion" of Christianity's core, albeit tackled in such a clunky and juvenile manner that even the most overzealous believers will remain indifferent. Perhaps its effectiveness would have held better somewhere around the witch hunt period, but not nowadays.

Despite that the idea essentially had a lot of potential, it is mutilated by various absurdities and utter lack of subtlety. For example, robots which were all ... the fad for that particular period are introduced for that reason alone. Absolutely chaotic, and not in a thematic exploration -- prevalent in some of Go's other works -- kind of way, but structurally. The impression is further deteriorated by the fact that some scenes from the previous work are merely recycled, however also visually enhanced. Not to say that there isn't some eye candy to be found, but that alone hardly offers any redemption.

No sympathy for the devil was found.

An odd fusion, the kind that can only be remembered for its redundancy. Not even the deliciously depicted meals can distract from the farcical attempt to present them in a lady-of-the-week format.

Despite that Tohru is known to dance on the border of the perverse it still comes off as a disappointment that he -- established in humorous achievements -- would resort to such a sleazily ostentatious way to attract audience. Given the peculiar nature of this work's female characters, perhaps it will serve as a suitable substitution if your local strip bar is closed. Otherwise, it is just a tasteless vichyssoise of style over ... sustenance.

Best to be avoided by anyone who seeks a samurai-ish escapade; this is more of an educational tackle, uncanny for this particular medium. Nonetheless, commendable for its effort to present source material in such a simplified - more accessible way.

It is definitely reader friendly, but ostensibly appears as if it was made for children. The art is done in a very innocent manner, accompanied by an adorable educational proxy who tries to explain more intricate parts. For that very reason it could repel more mature readers. Fortunately, those who put aside preconceived notions will be awarded by a work that successfully touches upon the ... core of Musashi's art/philosophy and doesn't come of as too pretentious.

Sensibly orchestrated story which successfully evokes inspiration. Not perfect in its execution, as it falls -- to an extent -- victim to usual tropes of such attempts, but its sincerity, and pacifistic yet ecstatic nature will hardly leave one unfazed.

Character's are drawn without any ostentation to them, with merely necessary difference to tell them apart. It could be classed as a flaw, if it weren't for the beautiful and vivid scenery in which they're set. It never detracts from their importance, but instead protrudes them as focal points. Hidenori's artistic mastery is best seen in how he manipulates panels. He increases - decreases their ... size, multiplies them, and applies various visual techniques in order for them to convey emotions hidden within the characters themselves, or to create tension for more competitive moments.

Potential problem of this work is that it feels too comfortable within the framework in which it operates, and never bothers to break away into more raw parts of human nature. Whereas it had a solid basis for a more complex introspection, it tackles its peculiar romance on the surface only. Also, it is too focused on one particular ordeal, which serves as a motivation for self improvement, albeit is a one way alley when it comes to development.

Despite that it never leaves its comfort zone, and perhaps ends on an abrupt note, this piece will at least once make you want to take an oar, and row "beyond the wind"; accompanied by its behemoth of determination - main character.

Appears to be more of an escapism meant for the author himself than the reader. It moves onto an already predetermined path that any fairy tale enthusiast will be familiar with. However, this is Jiro after all; Peter Pan resembles a Mad Max bandit on his way to the anarchistic version of Neverland - filled with rebellious teens in obsessive pursuit of pleasure.

Narrative weaknesses are ameliorated by vivacious visuals. It is evident Jiro enjoyed this one to the fullest. Pen strokes are chaotic and hard as ever, and panels can barely hold the amount of ink put into them; they threaten to explode in ... your face at any moment. Given that this is his first work it radiates with enthusiasm and helped pave a way for the established artist that he is today.

Be warned, this is a very sexual work. Characters are never dehumanized, but their outbursts of sexuality are thematically appropriate; after all, they are in the land of pleasure. Despite that it has a humorous vibe to it, it could still be considered a bit shaky, reception-wise.

The writer of this review promises that childhood memories will remain intact, but is not to be blamed for any mental scars that could occur.

It carries a sense of freshness at the start, albeit sooner or later moves onto a fixed trajectory - the kind that is predictable in its uncertainty. The initial shock slowly diminishes over the course of this work, even more so upon the realization that characters are basically cannon fodder for author's own convenience.

It does contain a certain dose of realism and very much stays loyal to the period which it represents. It is evident author did meticulous research on medieval times. However, that same realism quickly disappears in close-quarter scenes where temporary main characters receive a "supernatural" boost in their skills. A cheap ... tactic in order to create interest and shallow resonance with the reader, or merely to present the aforementioned in a spectacular fashion before their inescapable doom.

Kuji's art definitely feels out of place. Generic with female anatomy that is there purely for untasteful pleasure. It just doesn't sit well with this type of plot. However, it does have its wondrous moments, such as castles, landscapes, and close-ups of facial expressions. Given her involvement in Berserk, one would think she'd have a better sense of how to create a more appropriate cohesion.

The work is ridden with various brutalities and torture scenes, tread carefully. It could repel readers immediately due to its semblance with torture porn. Fortunately, it becomes clear that the author has little interest to fulfill some sadistic tendencies and instead aims to accurately depict the horrors of medieval times. She does it more or less successfully; less because at some part it is practically shoved down the readers' throats.

Best enjoyed with one eye closed due to its violent nature and particular absurdities; a work that doesn't pull its punches but perhaps has one too many.