Note - At the time of this review, there are only a few chapters left in the story. It is nearing it's end. I would still recommend reading it now instead of waiting for it to finish, but it is really up to the reader. Just know that there are large breaks in the upload schedule of the maga, so if you want to wait, it may be a while ven though it is only a couple of chapters left.
I've never written a review on this site before, not even for my favorite anime, but this manga just hits different. It is such a masterpiece that I would absolutely recommend to anyone who is willing to give it a chance. This is, hands down, the best manga I have ever read.
So I guess I should start of my review with a disclaimer that while I watch a significant amount of anime, I don't really read a lot of manga. It is much more than my profile on here would suggest, but still not a ton. I do read a lot of manhwa, though, if that counts for anything.
So, I found this series through a youtube video about how great the 3D visuals for the anime were. I had some time at the time, so for the next couple days, I watched the anime and loved it. However, it was clear to me that the story had a lot more to offer than that once I finished, so I did something I almost never do and went to read ahead in the manga. The anime ends at chapter 30 in the manga, but I started from the beginning anyway to see what changed and what stayed the same. Surprisingly, the anime was incredibly faithful to the manga story-wise, with the only real difference being in the final episode of the anime where it moves around the order of events a bit to wrap up the season in a nice spot.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO START WITH THIS SERIES, I WOULD RECOMMEND DOING THE SAME AND STARTING WITH THE ANIME. It's honestly fantastic. This manga has got to be one of the hardest to adapt into an anime, so instead of trying to stay completely faithful to the panels, they used 3D animation to play into its own strengths and it made for an incredible well-crafted experience. So, luckily, both mediums of this series are great. However, I would recommend starting with the anime and transitioning to the manga because the anime is more accessible and is also colored, which helps substantially in differentiating the gemstones.
What this manga does right:
-Incredibly well crafted world
-Huge cast of unique and fantastic characters
-A rollercoaster of a story
-Tons of character development, especially for our MC, Phos
-The best use of negative space and symmetry I've ever seen
-Uses page flips to build anticipation into breathtaking drawings and character moments
-A masterclass in page composition
-Amazing pacing throughout
-A cohesive story that was planned from the start to the smallest details
-A simple, yet effective art style that is both capable of highlighting small details and of making amazing shots
-Deep theming and buddhist imagery
-Much, much more
What this manga does wrong:
-The characters can be hard to tell apart at times. Although, even this was an intentional decision by the author and it gets easier over time as you get to know the characters. This is also a major reason why I reccommended to watch the anime first, as the color in it makes it way easier to tell them apart in the beginning.
-Long wait times between chapters. It is excruciating waiting several months for a new chapter at times, but each new chapter never fails to disappoint when it does come out. I will be patient.
-??? Literally can't think of anything else. Oh wait, I hate Ghost (name of a character if it wasn't obvious lol).
I literally cannot recommend this manga enough. It has become my all-time favorite. Just read it.
