만화 리뷰방

Story by Kanehito Yamada, Art by Tsukasa Abe. This is the hit series [Frieren: Beyond Journey's End], serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday since 2020. It's a story about the future of the hero's party after defeating the Demon King and bringing peace to the world, specifically focusing on the mage Frieren. Mage Frieren, who lived for over a thousand years, embarks on an adventure with Himmel, Eisen, and Heiter, defeats the Demon King, and brings peace to the world. Afterward, Frieren sets off on a solo magic journey. Fifty years later, she reunites with her companions, but they have all grown old, and Himmel passes away shortly after. Frieren then realizes how short human lives are and that she didn't truly understand her companions. She sets off on a journey again, meets new companions, and learns about humans. This is the main narrative. It's generally slow-paced and calm, so those seeking stimulating and fast-paced developments might find it boring. However, for those who appreciate novel-like depth and clean, fairytale-like art, it can be a healing work.

Soccer is murder to me. It really is. It feels like it could kill someone. They're all just too handsome. Protagonist Yoichi Isagi, due to his coach's words to fight for the team, loses a match that could have led them to the high school national tournament. Discouraged by this, Isagi is soon designated as a strengthening player and heads to a facility called Blue Lock, designed to foster egoists. There, Isagi meets Jinpachi Ego and various teammates, and grows as a soccer player. First off, sports anime are generally fun. And it's a feast for the eyes. Mostly because they're all guys. The author of Blue Lock, Muneyuki Kaneshiro, previously wrote 'As the Gods Will'. That's the manga famous for the scene where Dharma turns people into dodgeballs. Thanks to that, he draws human psychology well, and moreover, draws gruesome scenes incredibly well. It's a manga where the protagonist looks incredibly cool when he goes into 'psycho mode'. Isagi is the Demon King of Blue Lock. Honestly, he's too overpowered. I can't wait to see him reach the top spot.

The quintessential Go manga. A masterpiece combining a brilliant art style with an excellent story. It's one of those works that really shows how important the chemistry between the story writer and the artist is. The complete edition's cover features amazing illustrations, so they've included them all in a large format. While the Korean title was originally 'Ghost Go Player,' the content reveals that Hikaru, not the ghost Sai, is the true protagonist. Therefore, the original title, 'Hikaru's Go,' is the correct expression. The complete edition has also revised many parts related to Go terminology with expert advice, so if you're going to read it for the first time, I recommend the complete edition. Simply put, the story is about Hikaru meeting the ghost Sai and dominating in Go matches. It references many professional players' game records, so it's even more enjoyable if you know actual Go. It not only focuses on the protagonist but also gives significant weight to the supporting characters' stories. Even if you don't know Go, you can enjoy it immensely, so I highly recommend it. I actually started playing Go because of this manga. It's a true masterpiece. Just looking at the art is a feast for the eyes.

This is Yona of the Dawn, one of the ultimate, super famous shojo manga. On the day Princess Yona of the Kingdom of Kouka turned 16, her father, the King, was murdered by her beloved cousin, Soo-won. Her childhood friend, Hak, barely manages to escape with Yona, but they end up on the run. Following a divine revelation from a priest, Yona and Hak set out to gather the four legendary dragons to survive. With the White Dragon Kija, Blue Dragon Shin-ah, Green Dragon Jaeha, and Yellow Dragon Zeno by her side, Yona begins to see the world and struggles to save the Kingdom of Kouka, not for revenge. It's clearly a shojo manga, but sometimes there are cute, romantic moments. However, the story is so engaging that it's forgivable. Hak is truly perfect. He's incredibly strong, never looks away, has immense self-control... and he's handsome. Yona of the Dawn has concluded in Japan with 48 volumes. If you've been meaning to binge-read it, now's your chance. The last image is from the end of volume 46. To make us wait for volume 47 after that? That's torture. What else would you call that if not torture?

A prequel dealing with events 70 years before the main story of Attack on Titan. When the protagonist, Kyklo, was eaten by a Titan, he was born from his mother's remaining body (womb) and called 'child of the Titan'. He is persecuted simply for being a 'child of the Titan' and confined in a cage for 13 years. Dario Innocencio bought Kyklo to send his son Xavi to the Military Police, and Xavi uses Kyklo as a Titan to exert violence and build his confidence. Xavi's younger sister, Sharl, hears that there is a Titan in her house and heads towards Kyklo with a sword to save everyone. However, she realizes he is human and teaches him language and knowledge. Kyklo wanted to go outside to prove he was human, and sneaked into the Survey Corps' expedition beyond the walls, which resumed after 15 years. This manga depicts the process of how the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment was created. It's more fun than I expected and ends with a happy ending. If you like Attack on Titan, it's worth reading.

This is the cyberpunk manga [Gunnm] by Yukito Kishiro. It's known as one of the three great cyberpunk manga from Japan, alongside Akira and Ghost in the Shell, and it's the original work for the live-action movie (Alita: Battle Angel) produced by James Cameron. The story begins in the futuristic sky city 'Scrapyard' and the 'Scrapheap' town below, where the lower class live by scavenging. Dr. Daisuke Ido, a cybernetics doctor, finds a cyborg girl with only her upper body remaining in a pile of trash, repairs her, and names her Gally. At critical moments, Gally unknowingly unleashes the ancient Martian martial art, the Panzer Kunst, defeating enemies and overcoming numerous crises as she uncovers her past. This is the main plot. Serialization began in 1990, with the first part being Gunnm: Original, followed by the second part, Gunnm: Last Order, the third part, Gunnm: Martian Memory, and currently, the fourth part, Gunnm: Gunnm Kōga-den, is being serialized.

This is Dandadan, a mega-hit work by Tatsu Yukinobu, currently receiving the highest ratings for both its manga and anime adaptations. The story centers around Momo, a high school girl who believes in ghosts, and Oka-kun, a high school boy who believes in aliens. After an argument stemming from a chance conversation, they decide to visit a haunted spot and an alien hotspot, respectively, to prove each other wrong. There, they encounter the real Turbo Granny ghost and an alien. Oka-kun is cursed and gains transformation abilities, while Momo awakens hidden superpowers, marking the beginning of their adventures. With its ingenious originality, skillfully blending occult battles, romantic comedy, and science fiction, it's currently one of the most talked-about works.

This is a grand historical fantasy manga about an ordinary middle school student who time slips into the Three Kingdoms era. The protagonist, known as the 'Dragon's Child,' grows into a great strategist and warrior amidst the chaotic times, making for an exciting journey. The spectacular martial arts and strategic battles intertwined with actual Three Kingdoms heroes stand out. It's a representative masterpiece of time-transcending fiction, loved for its grand scale and outstanding immersion for a long time.

A work that Ryohgo Narita participated in as a story writer. When you think of Ryohgo Narita, you might recall Durarara!!, but Baccano! is his true masterpiece. It's one of those works I desperately wish he would finish. Narita's characteristic is that he introduces a huge cast of characters, yet each one has their own charm, and the story itself is fascinating. While the novel's writing style might feel a bit childish, Narita's unique prose is something you can never forget. In another world, the Corpse God, who reigned supreme as a villain, lost his body to a hero. Afterward, through a resurrection ritual, he possesses Shinozaki Fourka in the current world. Misaki Sakimiya is hired by someone to assassinate Fourka, but Fourka, whose contents were the Corpse God, doesn't die and revives. Fourka takes Misaki to his side, and to find out why she tried to kill him, why he came to this world, and to resolve the various incidents happening in this world, he struggles. Although this work isn't part of the Narita-verse, it's a damn fun series.

Well, it's a masterpiece with a very famous story. And I don't know if any work will surpass it in the future. The protagonist, Edward Elric, learns alchemy with the sole belief of saving his mother and attempts human transmutation, but as a result, he loses his brother Alphonse Elric and fails to properly transmute their mother. Edward succeeds in anchoring Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor in exchange for his right arm, and the two embark on a journey to find the Philosopher's Stone. It's such a great masterpiece that it didn't get much fan-made content, a tragic work overshadowed by One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. There are two anime adaptations: The 2003 anime was released before the original manga's ending was decided, so it's incredibly dark and sad. While the movie Conqueror of Shamballa slightly eases the sadness, it remains grim. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows the original manga's story, and this one is much more fun and better. The complete edition of the manga is missing the 4-panel comics, but a separate volume collecting those 4-panel comics was published instead.