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Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be the luckiest person in the world? For the protagonist of Luck Stealer, Kurusu Yuusei, this could easily be made a reality. So then, where does all his luck go?

Story 9/10

The story of Luck Stealer follows Yuusei through his life as a professional assassin, codenamed “Luck Stealer” for his ability to literally steal the luck of others for himself. I found the story to be one of penance, repentance, salvation, and redemption, while strongly illustrating the idea that “sometimes good people do terrible things to protect those they hold dear.”

At first, Luck Stealer ... can seem like a bit of a slow burn, but it ends up being deeply emotional, engaging, and worth every second of the ride. The first few chapters are almost completely episodic, serving only to introduce the main characters and their circumstances in the present day. Around chapter 4 is where we start to see story arcs that span several chapters. These preliminary arcs serve to introduce some new characters and build upon what has already been established, excellently fleshing out the base of the story. Chapter 10 is where we finally get into the overarching plot that will make up the main part of the story continuing forward. This is something that, while I had hoped would come sooner, was well-introduced at this point. Chapter 13 begins the flashback arc of the series, which lasts until chapter 23. I found this to be one of the most emotional parts of the whole story, and might be my favorite arc. After this, the story resumes the overarching plot until the end.

Overall, the story of Luck Stealer is quite solid and well thought-out. It progresses in a comfortable fashion after the slow start, neither being too slow nor too fast. The plot itself is rather linear, but engaging. The later parts of the story ended up being a sort of mash-up between what I was expecting to happen, and surprise twists that I didn’t see coming. As for the ending itself, it was excellent, and wrapped up everything quite nicely.

Art 7/10

The artwork is perhaps the weakest part of Luck Stealer. While not “bad,” neither is it something that is particularly beautiful or breathtaking, either. Despite this, the “flow” of the manga makes the entire thing read very smoothly. The same goes for the action scenes, which are intense when they need to be. The character designs I was particularly fond of, especially for Luck Stealer himself. Each one of the character designs is unique without being over-the-top, and they are all easily distinguishable from one another.

Characters 10/10

The story itself being mostly character-driven, the characters themselves are paramount to its progression; despite the relatively small number of notable ones. The author does an excellent job of fleshing out each character, giving even side characters a moment in the spotlight to expand upon their motivations and backstories. Luck Stealer himself gets the most attention, being the MC, and is someone I quickly found myself rooting for and empathizing with. None of the characters are perfect, and while they make mistakes, these mistakes are in-line with their personalities, beliefs, and motivations. Rarely does any choice of action feel too out of character.

Enjoyment 10/10

I read the entirety of this series in just a couple hours spread over 3 or 4 days. I was surprised and impressed at the variety of the “accidents” that Luck Stealer caused, with the results feeling genuine.

Overall 9/10

A solid, emotionally-gripping story with lots of action and suspense. While I would not consider it a “masterpiece,” neither is it flawed in any way to deserve a lower rating. The only reason I gave it a 9 is due to some minor issues with pacing and the art, and the somewhat linear storyline. I’d recommend this to anyone, and I’d definitely watch an anime version if it ever comes to be.