This manga is like trash tv, it sucks ass but you still want to know what happens next. The plot is pretty straightforward, they got stranded and need to find a way out. Wouldn't recommend getting too attached to any of the characters except for the dude with the braids as majority of them are either a dumbass or a rapist. This is something you would read if you're really bored as once you read it you'll be falling into a rabbit hole. Had to bleach my eyes after seeing some things in there that will forever be engrained in my head.

If you're looking for a horror manga with nice art and gore, you might enjoy this manga. If you're looking for a horror manga with decently written characters along with nice art and gore, pass this one over. THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS AND MENTIONS OF RAPE/SEXUAL ASSAULT, so don't read the rest if you want to avoid those.

The premise isn't anything unique (and its certainly not fleshed out beyond 'avoid the killer giant insects') but it's enjoyable for what it is, and its evident at least some research went into the various species included which is nice. The art is nicely done and there's an impressive level of detail put into the insects.

Unfortunately, the actual writing isn't as good as the art. Characters are shoehorned into specific roles (the strict class president, the arrogant punk, the promiscuous alpha bitch, the wimpy idol and so on) and are never given any development beyond that and never actually learn from anything they go through. The stunning lack of character development makes it hard to care about them at all or be invested in their survival at all. The writer invokes 'anyone can die at any time' frequently, which makes it even harder to care about the cast - Why bother getting invested in flatly written characters when half of them will probably end up dead? - and even worse, it's usually the only vaguely likeable ones that die. The chick who was going to rape one of the other female characters when she was tied up and who is one of the closest things to a hate sink in the manga? Still alive. The idiot who insisted he was the leader only to be a selfish, useless waste? Still alive. The group that barricaded two others outside to die? As of writing, still alive.

This brings me to other major qualm with the writing: The use of rape and sexual assault for drama. In a manga about man eating insects, you'd think the drama would revolve around survival and the insects. Instead, in the span of 22 chapters there have been three onscreen cases of rape and attempted rape and one case of dubious consent along with the instances early on where larvae eating people read uncomfortably sexually, complete with focus on bare breasts.

All in all, I can't recommend Kyochuu Rettou to anyone. The art and research aren't worth bad writing and unappealing characters.

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