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Rikudou, for the most part, does its job as a respectable boxing manga in the sense that there is boxing and there are also long monologues during the boxing. The gimmick that sets Rikudou apart from other boxing manga is that the main character Riku has killed in self-defense using his fists when he was a child. The first chapter also introduces the gimmick that Riku can target vital points with accuracy, but this is never used as the story progresses.

At face value, Rikudou is a solid read that is comfortably an 8/10 manga with explosive, well-drawn fights and plenty of character drama (both internal ... and external) to carry the plot along between the highlights. Unfortunately, if you start paying attention this facade breaks down quickly to reveal that Rikudou functions primarily on the rule-of-cool with a healthy side of edginess to keep readers engaged. Let me elaborate:
- The fights might look cool but they're also very messy, poorly explained, and quite difficult to follow. Compared to the gold standard of Hajime no Ippo, the fights in Rikudou are borderline incomprehensible.
- Character motivations generally don't have much logic to them, usually just having characters proclaim one-liners at the end of chapters without any build-up. With the exception of the core cast, the arcs of characters are very two-dimensional and feel forced in a way that services the plot rather than having genuine character development.
- The plot is borderline non-existent, in the sense that it's just Riku taking fights to progress to his goal (the OPBF championship belt) and not much else. There should've been a healthy character-driven subplot with Riku and the people supporting him, but unfortunately (as mentioned) the character work in Rikudou is shoddy at best and having Riku be a distressed lone-wolf the whole time is certainly the edgier option that can look cool on the page but doesn't help the story at all.
- Between the fights, characters, and the plot, the pacing is somehow really slow and really fast, in that barely anything happens for a reason, so you have lots of things happening but also nothing meaningful happening.
- And as for the edginess, I can only describe it as being unnecessary. Some standout examples are; Riku's friend Naeshiro touching herself while thinking about him without any follow-up in future chapters (the romance stays the same afterwards), a side-character being a lesbian and sexually assaulting Naeshiro (but with negligible impact on the plot or characters afterwards), Riku kills a fellow boxer in the ring and feels sad for about 3 chapters before getting on with it, and numerous sexually explicit scenes that attempt to colour characters as villains but don't succeed because those characters are given no context whatsoever.

The reason why I'm bashing on Rikudou this much is because these downsides aren't that obvious and only really contribute to the manga feeling 'off' and 'empty' as you read it, and even I didn't think I would score Rikudou this low until I actually thought about it.

If you've read a lot of series and are looking for more depth, I would recommend skipping Rikudou.
On the other hand, if you're looking for an entertaining read that isn't too complex, then Rikudou should satisfy.

Art - 8/10
Characters - 6/10
Story - 6/10
Pacing - 5/10

Overall - 6/10

If you came here after reading Psyren, turn back and just read that again.
If you didn't come here from Psyren, go read that instead.

Now I'm not saying that Kagamigami is bad, it's definitely not, but it ultimately falls short of what I think it should've been able to achieve, especially based on the author and the concept. In a nutshell, I think that Kagamigami has an excellent premise and setting that wasn't given the care and attention it needed to be something really great.

For a quick tldr, this manga is primarily about finding and stopping a terrorist group, with a secondary plotline about the power ... struggle between a cast of major families, all of this taking place in a world where youkai (spirits, demons, etc.) are real and we have the loose of equivalent of shamans (think Shaman King) doing battle with them.

For the first 20 or so chapters, the terrorist plot line is the main focus and it's done very well. The pacing is good and the mystery unfolds at a solid pace. Character introductions are handled pretty well and the main characters have a fairly strong dynamic. 8/10

The next 10 or so chapters brings the major families into play and we get some nice insight into the underlying structure of the world. This is also good. 8/10

Then you realise there's only 10 chapters left and it's all downhill from here. I won't say how it goes downhill (and in fairness it's not a terrible ending) but I cannot pretend that it didn't. The ending was rushed, mediocrely explained and ultimately didn't make good use of where the story could have gone. 5/10

Kagamigami could've been a strong 8 to weak 9. All the pieces were there, the direction of the manga was on track and I know the author has the skill to take us there. So I'm disappointed that it ended up being as mediocre as it did at the end, and I'm sad that the great manga it could've been simply doesn't exist.

If you're a fan of Psyren, or Shaman King, or just the shonen battle genre in general then I would still recommend Kagamigami. I would just ask that you keep your expectations in check and just enjoy ride.

Or just go read Psyren.

Blue Hearts, much like the author's previous work Re:Life, is a well paced slow burn through the issues that society can throw at its characters.

What do I mean by this? The series follows a relatively episodic format, dealing with each character's backstory in turn. The result is a very well fleshed out main cast and some very strong dynamics between them, with the drawback that the plot is relatively weak. That being said, the characters and pacing are more than good enough to carry you to the end without getting bored, so unless you only care about the story this won't ever drag on.

Alongside its ... strong emotional core of characters, Blue Hearts also deserves some praise for the way it portrays its larger cast and the social issues they all tackle together. Without giving too much away, Blue Hearts deftly touches on suicide, social outcasting and even gender dysmorphia. What I really appreciated was that Blue Hearts didn't make a spectacle out of these topics but instead treated them with respect, acknowledging the misunderstandings that can lead to them without belittling the core causes or the effects they can have.

At this point, you should have a good idea of whether or not Blue Hearts is on your radar or not, and I've praised it enough for one review. The last thing I'll say for anyone still on the fence is that Blue Hearts is very well-paced and only 64 chapters of manhwa, which you can easily finish in a day, so give it a go, it's good.

"An Invitation from a Crab" (KaniSaso) is a thought experiment on whether you can find meaning, or simply distraction, in the most average of places. The manga follows an episodic approach, trailing after our lead character as they allow themself to explore the smaller parts of life, giving us a glimpse into the possibilities that we so often ignore.

This manga isn't particularly great, and if you're an avid reader of series with long winding tales then this certainly doesn't contain that. Instead, the enjoyment of KaniSaso is in making you go "huh, I didn't think of it like that". Indeed, some of the best content ... of KaniSaso is found outside of the paneling, hidden in the musings of Panpanya between chapters about random things that have this exact effect.

Thinking about life and paintings and games and animation in terms of pixels and details and molecules. It doesn't need to be important, or weird, or fascinating. It's just another way to look at things.

KaniSaso isn't challenging and doesn't ask much from the reader. If you're happy to come along for the ride and let Panpanya take the wheel for half an hour, there's plenty of fun to be had in KaniSaso.

If you've read the description for 'Say I Love You' then I daresay you've already experienced everything this manga has to offer. That might be a lofty claim for someone who dropped this after 8 chapters but I believe the other reviews justify this (regardless of what praise they may have for this series).

This is a relatively old school manga so it may have been one of the first to do the 'unpopular girl attracts the popular guy and jealousy ensues' story type but at this point it's been done to death and certainly done better (e.g. Kimi ni Todoke and Kaichou wa Maid Sama).

In ... general, this trope is better when it's attached to an actual story as it doesn't function well as the driving force for a manga. There is nothing else happening in this manga and that is where it fails for me.

If you're into that kind of story, this is perfectly palatable. Otherwise, it's a bit of a waste of time without much to offer outside of its premise. Quite simply, there is better stuff to read out there.

Kuzu no Honkai (Scum's Wish) is essentially for people who enjoy seeing the messy, selfish side of others. Through and through, this manga remains true to being a window into the lives of those struggling with the ugly side of love.

Despite the romance tag, this manga is anything but lovey-dovey. While there may be some cute moments, the focus is very squarely on the lust side of love. Put simply, it's a representation of adult love performed naively by teenagers well out of their depth.

If you are a fan of realistic characters and mild drama without melodrama, then this is certainly worth a shot. Overall, ... Kuzu no Honkai is a strong entry into the "realistic, ugly love" genre.

As for why I've only given it a strong 6/10, this manga is strong in the areas that matter for enjoying it as it is, but doesn't do much else. As such, if your tastes were to deviate slightly from what this manga is delivering, it may turn you off fairly quickly.

At only 47 chapters, Kuzu no Honkai is a relatively short read and it only takes a few chapters to figure out whether or not its in your ballpark so there's no reason not to give this one a go if it interests you.

This manga is effectively a collection of skits in manga form, with some small tie-ins between disparate chapters. If you don't want to read something without an extended narrative then this isn't for you.

Ok, are they gone?

Yeah this manga is an absolute blast to read. While there isn't any strong narrative throughline to speak of, the collection is held together effectively by the strong tone and atmosphere shared across each vignette, with a general focus on the morbid and dark all the while having an undertone of bizarre comedy. Personally, that's a sweet spot.

In general, the characters are quirky and charming. I wouldn't call any ... of them particularly normal and more than most of them would be considered twisted. This works hugely in favour of the overall tone and does a lot to keep each chapter entertaining since you can never pin down exactly what will happen next.

The art is also banging. It's personally right up my alley but I recognise that it's also extremely stylised in that way so not everyone will like it. That being said, the baseline quality is still good so, if nothing else, if you enjoy a more cartoony style akin to Panty and Stocking (or just any of the author's other works) then this will be straight up eye-candy.

Overall, this is a really fun read that can be read at any pace without feeling rushed or stale. Pick it up and read at your leisure, I can wholeheartedly recommend at least giving this one a go.

Children is a rough around the edges attempt at murder-based shock value. While the initial premise of the main character being sent to a daycare only to find that its actually a slaughterhouse is interesting, that intrigue only lasts for a couple of chapters resulting in a very soulless read for the most part. While there is a twist at the midpoint of the manga, the transformation of the main character is far too drastic which kills any immersion in the story. From there, Children finishes off with more shock and murder tied up in a fairly clean ending.

While this manga is a very quick ... read (approx. 30mins), I can't say that it's worth it unless you enjoy casual murder stories where the insanity of the characters is on full display and don't require decent story or characters. Either that or you have half an hour to spare and your standards aren't too high, then this is a passable way to kill that time.

Story: The story has some nuance to it which stops the manga from being a waste of time and there is enough mystery to give you a good enough reason to keep reading.
Art: The art of this manga won't be for everyone, as it's of a more unique style than you would usually see. That being said, the art is still good and suits the content of the manga very well.
Character: The characters in this are not good. While they are actually quite nuanced and have some decent character dynamics, the way the characters are written, with shock-value first and story consideration second, makes it difficult to care too much. There is also the issue of simply not having much time with the characters so the huge shift midway through just doesn't work well.

TLDR: Mediocre murder manga that's good for killing half an hour, just don't go into it expecting too much.

Liar x Liar starts off with the hook that the main character Minato accidentally ends up dating her step-brother under the persona of Mina. The step-brother Tooru doesn't realise that Mina is actually Minato and the tangle of lies and double-lives begins from there.

The first third of Liar x Liar could best be described as waiting for a trainwreck to occur. Very little actually happens but there is an anticipation building that all the lies and cover-ups will eventually unravel. This is the only good reason that Liar x Liar gives you for reading it and the pacing of it is very slow, so if ... you don't have the patience for this kind of thing then it's likely you'll drop it before any payoff arrives.

However, once you get past this slow start, the rest of Liar x Liar does deliver on all the tension that it's been building up. Events that shake the status quo of the story finally start forcing the characters to make decisions and we get a pay off for the character development that's been the focus so far. At this point, the pacing gets much better and it's quite easy to be invested in the story without feeling like it's wasting your time.

No spoilers here but I can guarantee that all the things that were built up over the first two thirds of Liar x Liar are delivered in the final third. There isn't any huge jump in drama but rather there is a satisfaction to seeing a tangled plot get unraveled. The ending is certainly worth forcing yourself through the slow opening chapters and it's extremely refreshing to have a conclusion which is natural without being too predictable.


Art: Somewhat cute but not too flashy, this shouldn't affect the enjoyment of the series but will naturally grow on you as you read more and more.
Characters: The characters in Liar x Liar are quite realistic but with just enough spice to their actions and personalities that the drama of the story never feels contrived.
Story: Not much of a story, this is a manga to be read for the characters. There is some plot progression but that's still in service of the characters so don't hold your breath.
Pacing: Very slow to start but it picks up towards the middle and by the end it's a very easy read.

TLDR: I would recommend this people who enjoy seeing the nuance of characters and have the patience to accept that there is a build up required to set the stage for all those character interactions to make sense and feel deserved. However, if the phrase "it gets good after 20 chapters" is a turn off then this is one to skip.

Mushishi is a masterpiece. Plain and simple, it has all the ingredients that make it a really enjoyable read. The stories are interesting and varied, the art matches the feel of the story and is consistently good, there aren't any characters that will annoy the reader and more than most are highly likable. My overall enjoyment while reading Mushishi is a straight 10. There is a strong balance of tension, release, excitement and catharsis in each chapter which makes the whole reading experience amazing. This is a masterpiece.

So why do I give it an overall rating of only 7?

Mushishi's problem is that while each individual ... chapter easily outdoes most full length manga, there is little in the way of an overarching story and the similarities between each chapter slowly eat away at the enjoyment of each chapter. As a result, the pacing of Mushishi starts off perfectly fine but gets steadily worse the further you read as the lack of plot or character development becomes more and more obvious. After a while I began to loathe the first page of each chapter when I realised that the chapter would be just another short story from the main character's adventures.

This kind of storytelling won't be an issue for everyone. If you don't require long form narrative in your manga then this issue (the only issue with Mushishi as far as I'm concerned) won't bother you. Even better, if you are a fan of anthologies or are partial to the iyashikei genre then this is definitely one to read.

All in all, Mushishi reminded me a lot of Aria- a slow burn where every chapter is a 10/10 but the fact that there isn't any strong connection between chapters makes the overall experience drag on and lose its magic. Honestly, I would recommend reading either of these in small 1-2 chapters bursts rather than marathoning, in order to get the most out of it.

My recommendation is that everyone should at least start this manga. Regardless of how far you get into the full 50 chapters, I can guarantee that it is an enjoyable read.