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Apr 2, 2024
TL:DR
Initially episodic and a little repetitive at the start but then gets really, really good half way through.
Story: 7/10
The manga is inseparable from the era it was written in: a spate of terrorist attacks, rampant political corruption and student protests. This manga makes a point to emphasise that Itto is one of the last ‘true samurai' (multiple people are moved to tear by this), how the rest of society has forgotten bushido, the lords are corrupt or have forgotten their duty, etcetera and I don't think it's a big leap to suggest the manga is the author's reaction to the world around them.
The first 70%
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of the manga are episodic, unconnected stories with little relevance to the overarching plot except a few that builds on Itto's backstory or the machinations of his nemesis. However, they do build up the characters and some of Itto and Daigorou's backstory. They also cover the pair's philosophy and show us how our protagonists react to the world. They are not bad, individually interesting but they're fairly repetitive and feel a little aimless.
This is not aided by the fact that the majority of fight in the early manga are entirely uninteresting. They are extremely short (not usually more than a page or two), not very visually interesting and there is hardly ever a single moment where the reader believes that Itto could lose a fight. And if he does lose? Well, it was actually on purpose you see. Yeah, the fights are not that interesting to begin with.
Then we get to the latter 30% of the manga, and it goes from decent to absolutely amazing. When the author gets serious with the overarching plot, I couldn't put the manga down it was so intense. I was flying through the volumes, I simply had to see what was next. I wish we got here sooner but reading this manga was worth it for this.
Character: 7/10
Itto is less a real personality and instead the idealised personification of bushido. He is not exactly complex, he simply does whatever the most ‘samurai’ thing it is possible to do in the situation. As a modern westerner, it is interesting to see how one was supposed to live the complicated Bushido way of life.
Daigorou is the least realistic depiction of a child I can think of. Actual child soldiers are more child-like than this. I think it fits the themes of the manga but the way he behaves is almost distractingly unbelievable.
Retsudo is quite similar to Itto but I actually found him more interesting though I won't spoil it.
The one-off characters in the episodic episodes are more hit or miss. Sometimes they'll be interesting but they re-use the same archetypes a lot.
Art
Absolutely phenomenal for the most part, the character design, the facial expressions, nearly everything.
Overall: 8/10
Good but sort of dissapointing considering it's reputation. If it had gotten to the real meat of the story sooner instead of all the episodic fluff then I think this could easily be a 9. However, I do recommend this manga for the real story in the latter half of the manga, it's spectacular. I'm not saying that the episodic stuff is bad, I enjoyed my time with the first half of the manga but the final arc is just so good that it makes the rest look kind of dull.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 30, 2024
Preachy and shallow.
What is the message here? That TV is bad? That we shouldn't let people die in front of our eyes? Yeah, everyone knows this stuff, it's the most superficial possible criticism of society. It's ironic that the author would choose to adopt the aesthetic of Don Quixote, because this manga feels like someone tilting at windmills.
There is a bit of an overarching story but it's not really relevant and I'm not sure why it was included.
I don't recommend this manga, obviously. There is no real reason to read this manga, you will get nothing out of it that you couldn't get by listening
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to your slightly-drunk uncle complain about the state of society
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Feb 25, 2024
Love Sync Dream (which happens to abbreviate to LSD) is a surrealist comedy retelling of “Alice in Wonderland” except the heroine is called Erika, there's an Indian weeb along for the ride and also everything is entirely different.
The manga is short but sweet. It has little character growth of any sort. While the two protagonists do grow closer over the course of the 2 available volumes, they're never the focus. Their personalities are never developed by any measure either. Of course, it's a short comedy manga so I really didn't expect any of that.
As the LSD acronym suggests, this is a surreal manga running through
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a trippy plot at breakneck pace, taking us through a variety of bizarre scenarios. I can't say there's any grand message or anything, but it's a fun romp through whatever fun concept the author can think of.
LSD has a much lighter tone than the original Alice In Wonderland, pretty much everything is taken for a joke and there's always a sense of whimsy.
The art is not beautiful, but it is interesting and it very much feeds into the surrealist feeling of the manga.
I recommend this to everyone, it's a short read and an fun time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 26, 2024
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
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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.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 27, 2023
Warning
Graphic sexual assault, brief child abuse, nudity - very NSFW
TL:DR
No real character development but let's be honest, we're here for combat not words. Some fun action but art is a letdown at times and it gets very repetitive. Only read if you want to see bullets fly and not much else.
Description
Sengawa's day job is as an accountant working for the police. But at night... he transforms into a ruthless assassin bringing death to anyone who deserves it. Meet and hire the man with 1000 guns.
Story: 6/10
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A very fun premise, it peters out midway but brings it back in the end.
That Sengawa is the accountant in charge of confiscated weapons is very clever and serves to explain a lot of things, it also reinforces the reader's suspension of disbelief.
The plot is just too repetitive. It's mostly just a writing-by-formula affair that introduces a victim and the villain. The MC kills the villain and then it's never mentioned again. The author injects enough spice that the action never gets too repetitive but It's hard to be satisfied after the first few cookie-cutter villain-of-the-week chapters. A big part of the problem is that most of the people Sengawa fights has zero chance of fighting back, so the chapters mostly devolve into the MC showing up and shooting them and that's it. The revenge scenarios aren't that interesting either most of the time, they feel more like misery p*rn than a plot setup because the author is never willing to explore what is happening for more than a page or two. The fact that most antagonists get a chapter each does not help. However, the author sprinkle enough interesting stand-alone chapters with real emotional weight in that I didn't feel like I was wasting my time.
There are some longer multi-chapter arcs, never too long but they are by far the most interesting. The fact that the protagonist can't win in a few pages keeps it much more engaging. While it can be fun the watch our anti-hero effortlessly mow down baddies in a cathartic display, sometimes you want them to struggle and it's the mini-arcs that we really see what Sengawa can do, they have the most creative fights as he's forced to actually try to win. As a bonus, It's usually in these that we get to learn more about our vigilante protagonist.
After the half way mark, an over arching plot does develop and we see an overarching antagonist emerge. It is genuinely interesting and they're certainly the most interesting villain but they're introduced too little, too late. They're just not given enough time to really take the stage. Still, it is a break from the monotonous “avenging” and it introduces some real stakes into the story. No spoilers but the it is a pretty good ending, I just wish we got this level of action and drama sooner.
Characters: 5/10
You saw the cover art and read the description, let's be honest: you didn't read this for characters, you came for action and cathartic bad guy killing. You weren't expecting deep, 3 dimensional characters and the manga doesn't even pretend that this is more than power fantasy.
We do get to learn a little bit about Sengawa. As expected of the main character, he is the most interesting but ultimately he doesn't receive any character development at all, he ends the manga the same way he started. There are a few other reoccurring characters but they're not given any time to develop. There is one woman who is seemingly a love interest but she never gets much screen time. There is also a hotshot detective chasing Sengawa and they interact a bit but we never learn anything about him. The rest of the reoccurring cast is given even less time to shine.
While we certainly didn't come here for the characters, good villains are a must for this kind of manga. Unfortunately they're just not very interesting. They're mostly one note, cackling villains with no reason their actions other than the author needs them to be evil. It's hard to care about the vile things they do when the author seems to be revelling in making them as hateful as possible.
The final villain does make a grand entrance though and really feels like a threat. He also has something (no spoilers) that makes him stand out from the rest of the antagonists. I just wish he was introduced sooner so they could build up the threat a little.
Art
The art mostly fantastic, the artist is quite talented. The fights are usually pretty good and the artist can make some very cinematic scenes. The panelling is good at making the pages flow, effortlessly keeping the reader in the action.
The quality of the art does drop in quality outside of action scenes though. I get it, you have tight deadlines and you have to cut corners somewhere. If this inconsistency was confined to just the filler, I wouldn't criticise too harshly. Unfortunately, it's affects the fights too. The more densely packed action panels can be hard to parse and it really kills the fun when you need to pause to discern what's happening in a panel, if you can even tell at all. That's a real handicap for an action-oriented manga.
Overall: 6/10
I really wanted to like the manga but ultimately the art disappoints a few too many times and the plot was just too repetitive to really be engaging for more than a few chapters.
Despite it's merits, it just doesn't make an impact. The action is good but repetitive and the villains aren't interesting enough to get me really invested in the fights.
If you only want to see bullets fly and bad guys die then you could may enjoy this, but it doesn't offer much more than that.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Nov 22, 2023
Trigger Warning
Graphic Depiction of Rape, graphic violence (including against children), sexualisation of children, “romance” between child and adult
TL:DR
Gritty and realistic military-focused manga with a plot that will have you binge reading to the final chapter, a real page turner. Great protagonist and interesting side characters, but their potential is wasted and the author can't write women. Despite that, I fully recommend this manga, If you can get past the laundry list of TWs above.
Story: 8/10
The description actually undersells how interesting the premise of the manga actually is. The manga primarily focuses on Arata and his band of mercenaries almost exclusively composed of children. If that
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sound very interesting, that's because it is. Marginal Operation is a gritty depiction of warfare and mercenary work, with no defined loyalties and harsh conditions. It takes a very pragmatic view of the protagonist's actions, of course no one wants children to be soldiers, but what else can they do? However, Arata is not a cold and calculating monster, and the tension between his inherent good nature and the things he does to survive adds much needed emotional depth to a story that primarily revolves around fighting.
It's been said that “no plan survives contact with the enemy” and that certainly applies here, many twists and turns. Things rarely go according to plan and the situation can turn on a dime. It's unpredictable in the best of ways.
Arata faces a diverse array of enemies, each with different capabilities, strategies and equipment. From rebels, cults and governments, the wide range of foes forces the protagonist to adapt his tactics. This makes every story arc different and keeps it interesting while showcasing Shibamura-sensei exceptionally clever writing. Despite the types of people they face, I appreciate that it never tries to portray anyone as unequivocally good or evil. Even Japan itself is not held above getting it's hand's dirty.
The scenarios do get less realistic as the manga goes on but still well within my ability to suspend disbelief. I have no military experience so I can't tell how realistic the tactics are but to my untrained eye, every move taken seems completely sensible. Indeed, the author takes pains to explain why tactical decisions are made. It keeps the reader in the loop and ensures it never feels like the manga needs to hide things or pull stuff out of nowhere to keep the plot going.
The ending was explosive, a fantastic end to a hidden gem of a series. However, it doesn't conclusively end the story. There is a sequel light novel series that picks up where the original left off. Whether that series will be adapted so manga readers can get the full story remains to be seen. Mind you, the manga's ending can stand alone perfectly well so I wouldn't say we need an adaption of the sequel to enjoy this series.
While things rarely go the way you expect, there were too few casualties to be believable. Now, don't mistake what I'm saying, it never feels safe and the manga exploits the relative safety in earlier chapters to drive that home in a heart wrenching failure. However, it only manages to pull this off once. Yes, there is trouble later but only poorly developed side characters are put in harms way. It never feels safe and it was always tense, and yet there's a pervasive thought in the back of my head saying everyone who matters will be fine. The stakes are high but the author's bluff is rarely called. Does it detract from my enjoyment of the manga? I wouldn't say so, but don't expect a “Game of Thrones” nobody-is-safe type of story.
There's a romance between the ~30 year old protagonist and a 14 year old girl. Sign, japan, why are you like this? Look, I've learned to ignore a lot of crap in Japanese media but the particulars of this story makes it just that much worse when it happens here. I honestly though it would go down the route of explaining why this is wrong and promote a more healthy parental relationship. It felt like it was leaning in that direction, the manga tackles many other topics with some maturity after all. Arata justifies his use of child soldiers by saying that he is creating a better life for them, including by escaping sexual abuse. The author goes out of their way to portray Arata's relationship with the kids as parental, it's even explicitly stated by his partner (Omar) that he's their dad. The author even setup alternate love interests only for Arata to turn them down so he can groom a child. Because it just gets better, the manga doesn't stop at just “romance” like many others do, we get a full nudity scene. Of a 14 year old girl.
Even if you can ignore the paedophile MC and the terrible writing of woman (more on that later), there is a rape arc that is down right disgusting, I would not blame anyone for dropping the manga after reading that chapter. There are ways to handle these things well but if you can't manage that, then just don't write it at all. I'm not saying sexual assault can never be depicted tastefully in media, or that it's never relevant to a story, but the depiction in this manga is frankly vile, sexualising the victim as the assault occurs. The plot could easily have been rewritten to exclude the rape scene and still continue the plot on it's original path but the author chose to include this scene and moreover, chose to write it as a juvenile power fantasy of ‘saving the girl’ and I hated it. It's very unfortunate that the author fumbles this despite being so mature about many other components of the story.
Characters: 7/10
The characters are not this manga's strong suit. They are likeable, they are distinct and they are relatively 3 dimensional. The main character is the best character here. Genuinely nice guy and tactical genius. Though not very happy about his line of work and agonises over the morality of his actions, constantly trying to make it better for his kids. He undergoes a great arc, growing from a NEET who haplessly falls into mercenary work to a hardened veteran who is dead set on getting his kids a better life, all while trying to retain his morality. And it's makes for a damn good read.
The rest of the cast doesn't get nearly as much time to shine and it's sad because there's some real potential. I will grant, Shibamura-sensei is very efficient at packing a lot of characterisation into the relatively short amount of time allotted to each character but I still would have liked more focus on the rest of the cast. Sophie had surgery to make her ears elf-like, why? What about the ex-cult leader? This is gold for an author to work with, these characters are so interesting but we never learn anything about them!
Most importantly, we need more time with the kids, they would surely be the most interesting psychologically. Honestly, I thing the psychological potential the manga shows with such a unique premise, an army composed exclusively of children, is squandered. The author makes a point to contrast their childish sides with their martial occupation and showcase their hobbies briefly, it all seems a bit disjointed. The MC is agonising about what he makes them do but they hardly seem to notice! They don't seem traumatised or affected in the least by what they have to do. Even disregarding the female cast ( and we will get to that), it's shocking how little attention is given to the kids in a manga that concerns itself so much with child soldiers.
The handling of female characters is abysmal. Oddly enough, the child that the MC grooms is the best written female character here. All the adult women start fawning over the main character as soon as they meet him and are extremely sexualised. Sophie exists purely as a love interest and then a damsel in distress. Itou has some in-universe excuse I will grant but it was still the author's decision to write her like that. There are ways to write sexual characters well or explore a character's sexuality, but the author uses it as pure wish fulfilment. It really feels more like a shounen manga at times.
Art
Phenomenal art. Simple, realistic character designs. It's quite impressive that they manage to make everyone look so distinct while keeping to real world clothing, hair etc. No need for bombastic costumes here, just utilitarian uniforms and business suits. This is supported by expressive faces and non-verbal communication, keeping you immersed in what's happening.
The only exception to this pragmatic realism is Jibril's red eyes, they weren't red in the original light novel's art so I'm not sure why it was changed in the manga. It stands out so much from the rest of the cast that it was distracting every time there was a colour page.
The depictions of combat are excellent, the artist really sells the tension and impact of fighting. Realistic weapons, blood, and a good sense of motion sells the impact of combat. They cleverly use in-universe maps and markers to keep you aware of character's positions and movements without breaking immersion.
One thing to critique is that the comedic art is actually too good in a way, it just feels a bit out of left field to go to super exaggerated (and hilarious) reaction shots right after serious, gritty combat scenes.
Overall: 8/10
If you're a fan of Japanese media, you will have to ignore a lot: casual sexism, disgusting “lolicon” stuff and more. The rape scene certainly does not help. I'm inured to these particular Japanese foibles but I would totally understand if this isn't to your taste.
If you can handle the trigger warnings listed at the top, then I would give this manga go. If you can ignore it's flaws, you'll find a real hidden gem. I had a wonderful time with this manga and I was constantly on the edge of my seat, each page turn was exciting. I binged this manga because I simply needed to know what happened next, and I binged it right to the last page. I hope the sequel light novel series get's adapted (or at least officially translated) so I can get more if this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 29, 2023
TL:DR
Ignore the cover art, it is not edgy/grimdark in the least. Manga's not bad, but fairly generic. Decent comedy at least. It's a squarely middling
Story: 5/10
It's passable, I could roughly predict nearly every story beat before it happened, and the one's I couldn't were kind of ass-pulls. Actually, that's something of a problem that compounds near the end of the manga. It kills any excitement when the manga is filled with plot devices never mentioned or hinted at before until it suits the author.
I'll grant, the manga does manage to foreshadow one plot point and make it have actual consequences.
Decent comedy, I found it enjoyable.
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It can be pretty funny at times
Characters: 5/10
Like-able characters if not very complex. They don't really have arcs or develop in any way. They have some fun chemistry though
Art
Not bad, good character designs and there are some backgrounds in most panels. Faces can be a little simple sometimes but it's played for comedy
Overall: 5/10
It's average. Might tickle your fancy if you like the kind of humour it has but other than that, I would not really recommend reading this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Oct 25, 2023
TL:DR
Fantastic and unique fantasy tale that bucks the trends and creates a near masterpiece, with brilliant world building and equally well written characters. Read this right away!
Story: 9/10
What starts as a light-hearted comedy manga (and a good one at that!) parodying typical fantasy type stories with interesting world building turns into a compelling story in it's own right. The beginning of the manga starts simple, archetypal characters (human knight, halfling rogue, elf mage, etc) with a simple goal. But that doesn't mean it stays that way for long, soon realising a real plot with real stakes. While it keeps the comedic air and never gets
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too serious, that doesn't mean that it can't hit you in the feelings. And the best part? Looking back, you will realise it was all set up from the beginning.
In terms of characters, what starts out as standard fantasy fair (halfling rogue, elf mage, etc) becomes something so much more to make some really unique characters. As the author slowly expands the cast, each with their own backstories and motivations, it becomes so much more than the parody it looks like initially.
Despite the growth of the series from gags to a proper plot, food remains central to the manga. Despite this it's not just gorgeous art of food and ways to cook (although it certainly has that in spades), Food is the underpinning theme of the story and it's all pervasive in this work: to punctuate the manga's themes, comedic relief, bringing characters together or just to make our mouths water. The manga even ends with a feast. I promise this is not as silly as it sounds, the manga plays this entirely straight and it so genuine and well written that it works.
The story is tightly written, with not a line wasted. As the main plot builds momentum, you will realise that everything has been set up since the beginning. This story was meticulously planned, previous events and information coming back up to throughout the manga only for everything to weave together at the end for a truly explosive final.
Excellent world building, in terms of how a dungeon actually works, the monster's ecology/physiology and a little fantasy politics. Kui is one of few fantasy writers to have put serious thought into how any of this would actually work, in term of how a dungeon operates and maintains itself but also of how individual monsters could function biologically and, of course, how they taste. Despite this, it never feels like the author is beating us over the head with exposition. Everything we learn comes naturally and without bring the story to a screeching halt. In fact, every part of the world building not only enriches the world but is also relevant to the plot.
When I started reading this, I came in expecting a fun fantasy romp to laugh a little and forget. I did not expect to find what is unironically one of the best fantasy stories I have read, one that not only transcends fantasy tropes but also genre altogether.
Character: 9/10
The writing is realistic, they all have sensible motivations to enter the dungeon beyond "my friend needs me!". That idea is even criticised. Though, this doesn't mean that they're all sociopaths, there is some top quality banter and it really feels like they are real people getting to know each other. Everything the characters do makes sense with what has been established for their character, It never felt like the manga was forcing the plot forward but rather that things were simply moving to their natural conclusion as a consequence of the people in it. Even the main cast are never just heroes out to do the right thing, even if that's what happens in the end.
The author's economical writing applies to their character's too. One character who I thought would be nothing more than a recurring gag becomes central to the plot in a suprising way. I won't say that literally every character gets to shine but that's not necessary to make a good story. Everyone important gets a well written character arc, and you will find the cast expands rapidly without feeling bloated. Everyone has a part to play, each propelled and acting in accordance with their own motivations, personality traits and understanding of the world.
This dense style of writing also ensures that the character growth is continuous as a result of their experiences. Kui shows a level of respect for the reader uncharacteristic of manga, even seinen, refusing to simply spell out how our cast has changed but rather conveying it subtly in their behaviour. All except for one character and we will get to that.
The depth of personality each character has drives not only the plot but also the comedy, as a natural and perfectly believable consequence of their unique quirks without it feeling the author is trying to get a cheap laugh out of us. Seriously, despite all the very serious stuff I've babbled on about, this is a very funny manga.
The only real criticism I have of the manga is the handling of Izutsumi's character. She started out with such potential, introducing a new concept in the world but she's written without any of the characteristic deftness Kui typically employs. The chapters focusing on her are ham-fisted and clunky, feeling very out of place. After her time in the spotlight, Izutsumi is just kind of… there? She sticks around the main party where every other character has a part to play except her. She could have been plucked out of the story after a point and it wouldn't make much different. The author has some minor characters join and leave the main party at times with several acting independently so I don't know why Izutsumi alone is a permanent addition to the core cast. Yes, she has somewhat of a role in the conclusion but a certain other character would have been better in that role. Even in the epilogue, she doesn't get a satisfying conclusion like the rest of the cast but just another clumsy morality lesson. Reading her chapters made me seriously consider whether this manga was actually classified as a seinen.
It feels so close to having perfect character writing but the author really dropped the ball with izutsumi, “Dungeon Meshi” could have earned a perfect 10/10 in character writing but she left a sour taste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong, she makes a fun sidekick for background gags and she has her moments but she just could have been more.
Art
Every character, even the minor ones with barely one line, have distinct and memorable character designs. In the epilogue were everyone character major and minor is gathered together, I found I could recognise most of them. In fact, the author has drawn some bonus sketches where they swap the characters outfits and hairstyles around and it really hit me just how distinctive each design is and how much it reveals about the character with visuals alone. Looking at their sketches really made me aware about just how much though went into creating each character, even the minor ones.
This close attention to detail isn't reserved just for the people however, the monsters are rendered beautifully, creepily, majestically and all the ways a monster can be depicted. It is clear that the author has thought a lot about how monsters would work and, more importantly, how to cook them.
Yes this is technically a manga about food and the delightful dishes are lavishly illustrated to make the reader hungry, with even the steps taken to cook the beast shown with skill.
Kui has a strong grasp of visual comedy to go along with her witty writing, with absurd reactions to accentuate the absurd situations our cast finds themselves in. Not to mention, the entertaining activities of characters in the backgrounds of panels with blink-and-you-miss-it gags to make you crack a smile.
Of course, Kui is more than capable of being serious. Dramatic scenes are given the power they deserve, fights are well drawn with palpable impact.
Overall: 9/10
This is nearly all unadulterated, effusive praise and that's because it's well deserved. “Dungeon Meshi” is a true hidden gem and maybe my manga of the year, it's no doubt one of the best manga of all time. The author has previously only released anthology manga and, with a debut series like this, I am very much looking forward to their next work. This is a fantastic story that I recommend to everyone, I promise it's not just a silly manga about food, it's a very serious manga about food and much more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 4, 2023
Trigger Warning
NSFW, sexual assault (in fantasies), sexual harassment, brief depiction of self harm
TL:DR
Gets you really in the head of a despicable character allowing you to understand, but not excuse, his behaviour. Let down to a too convenient ending. You're going to have a bad time if you can't forgive some pretty severe sexual harassment
Story: 6/10
All the decisions he makes are perfectly understandable due to the way the author keeps us in his head it means that no matter how dumb a decision that Kurosawa makes, you don't feel like it's just for plot-advancement. I appreciate that the MC has to take the hard way, no
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cop outs here. It was genuinely surprising when this happened. He does some despicable stuff and he has to atone for it.
The bullying is realistic instead of exaggerated, keeping it believable and keeping you in the position of the characters.
I think Kurosawa's initial to relationship with Takigawa is well written, a little stereotypical but good. I also appreciate that he did not just “get the girl” and be fixed. Life isn't usually that convenient (more on that later) and it leads to a really well written change in character.
Prior to his atonement, I was very much enjoying this manga. Unfortunately, it drops the ball. It's shown that he is bullied and there is this comparison the Kitahara comparing how the two react. Except, Kurosawa absolutely deserves to be ostracised for his heinous acts while no one is aware of Kitahara doing anything wrong. The manga also attempts to elicit the readers sympathy due to the bullying but it just fell flat for me, he's kind of terrible so I don't really care if people don't like him. He isn't really the victim in this situation unlike Kitahara and the comparison falls flat.
The manga tries to compare Kurosawa's and Kitahara's reaction to the bullying but their situations are entirely different. They both act the same and yet Kurosawa got lucky and people reach out to him, despite pushing them away and after all he did to them. Even before his confession, people still try to engage with him despite him constantly making it clear he'd rather be alone. Kitahara is blameless in everyone else eyes but get's no hand up from anyone. The message of reaching out to people doesn't work when we see that there really isn't anyone she can reach out too.
That Kurosawa is depicted as despicable and a pervert is excellent, he's not given any excuses for his actions, however the fact that his fantasies are depicted in the manga for the audience feels exploitive, like the reader becomes complicit in his fantasies and the sexualised depictions of the characters he targets takes away something from the manga. I feel like it would be better if his fantasies were less explicitly depicted or only implied, for example we could see what he's actually doing (jerking it) and he speaks what his fantasies are. As it stands now, it feels like the reader is also supposed to be getting off on Kurosawa's fantasies too.
His personality does a 180 and he suddenly becomes a personable, outgoing guy. Kurosawa's atonement feels too sudden and it seems as if people are far too forgiving as if it really comes out of nowhere and isn't earned. It also implies that he needs to become a totally different person and perpetuates this aversion to introverts that pervades media.
Another issue is the liberal use of time skips. Narratively, it takes place over months but for the reader it happens in a flash. I think drawing it out and making it more gradual would have been an improvement as it currently feels unearned, especially considering his outright criminal behaviour.
Characters: 6/10
of course, all of above doesn't matter too much, as it's the characters are what's really important
Kurosawa is the view point character and we really do get his viewpoint. We see the reason he does the things he does, we are kept in his shoes throughout the whole manga. He's believable written, barring the perversion, the way he behaves is something many of us can relate to. You can feel the subtle changes in his world view, for better and worse, throughout the manga. I don't think he's a super deep character but the manga is short and focused enough that it doesn't matter.
Kitahara a subversion of the typical “perfect victim” who is allowed to do no wrong. It's made clear that she kind of sucks. And despite that, she still deserves sympathy. However, she really is just written to be a foil to Kurosawa. She doesn't really get any development or “screen time” of her own but rather server to hammer home the message of manga, we need human connection. Even her arms-length relationship with Kurosawa is a perverse (literally and metaphorically) way of seeking that connection.
Do you know in manga, lonely boys will have a super nice girl who smashes like a whirlwind into their lives and, with endless patience, they “fix” the character? That's a “Manic Pixie Dream Girl”. Nagaoka is one of those despite being a guy. Yes, he's a nice guy but why does he insist on reaching out to Kurosawa who has shown zero interest in being his friend and never is nice to him? It's ultimately Nagaoka who completes the MC's redemption and I just do not know why, especially after what he admitted doing to Nagaoka girlfriend after trusting him as a friend.
Takigawa is similar her introduction to Kurosawa is more believable but she still just keeps going to him despite the manga implying she was traumatised by what he did. It's a shame because I enjoyed how she brought out the best in him.
Art
The art is rudimentary at times but I think the artist uses it to their advantage, showcasing Kurosawa's isolation visually. The MC and the supporting cast seems at time like they're from different manga entirely (without it being jarring). The jagged, raw character design makes it clear what sort of person Kurosawa is and contrasts with the softer, rounded designs of the supporting cast.
Overall: 6/10
The manga packs a surprising amount of character development in so few chapters along with good writing. It's a shame the manga is let down by the second half and the convenient support cast.
Mixed recommend, read this if your interested in a well written character and and interesting idea. Avoid if you want a well-written story or great cast. I recommend everyone read this really, maybe it's message may resonate with you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 19, 2023
TL:DR
You'll like this if you're a real Japanese culture buff. Honestly, it's not very good as a story by itself so I'd only recommend this to a very certain kind of person.
The story and the characters are not really important considering this is really a showcase of Japanese Islander culture. And it is excellent at that. It was quite interesting. The author states that it's not a showcase of any specific island culture but a mishmash of all they've lived in. The author clearly has a real passion for what they're writing about. It's great to learn about the various customs and folklore that accumulates
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in isolated islands. The writing is accentuated by phenomenal art that will really draw you in to the fantastical culture and world the author builds.
And now, relentless critique:
As bizarre as this sounds, I feel the more fantastical elements detract from the real pleasure of learning about islander culture. This might just be the only thing I've read that would benefit from being more like a text book.
One issue is that, as the author states, it's a mix of different cultures. If I was interested in this sort of thing, I would want a more accurate reflection of the actual cultures being written about.
I know I said that character and plot isn't important but I do need to talk about them, because they actively detract from the experience. The characters are extremely shallow and the plot is strange. The main character is a sceptic who comes to terms with the supernatural things happening around him. Except, as written above, these are cultural things taken from real cultures, who may not believe these things as actually real themselves. It's a very strange choice, especially considering the world presented in the manga doesn't quite map onto any real world culture. The other characters are really rather pointless, I don't care about grandma's last minute drama or anything the other characters have going.
I feel like this manga really should have just been a non-fiction book (maybe with illustrations) detailing the author's own, clearly extensive, experiences with islander culture. The fictional parts and the odd mixing of cultures don't do this manga any favours. I just can't find what the fictional elements add.
If you are curious about Japanese culture (you godless weeb) you will like this but there isn't a lot on offer for those here for an actual story, hence why I can't recommend this to a wider audience and why my personal rating (5) is much lower than the 7 I give in this review.
Overall: 7/10 (very conditionally)
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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