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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's hard not to compare Dai Dark to Q Hayashida's last series, Dorohedoro, since I burned through that entire manga run pretty quickly. It's not surprising that the creator would move on to something that while stylistically similar has vastly different setting.
Dai Dark definitely nails the intriguingly weird set up, as it focuses on a young man who possess a strange and deadly power, and spends his time traveling in space with a magical skeleton backpack.
One volume may actually not be enough to assess this one. Dorohedoro just had much clearer stakes: A man in a magic city was turned into a lizard, and he wants to find who did it. Boom, there's your protagonist agency. Dai Dark is a bit more nebulous about its goals.
This leads to an issue I hadn't even considered until reading this: Q Hayashida works best when exploring relationships. They're a creator with a real knack for exploring different kinds of friendship, and it seems like the first volume of Dai Dark spends so much time on set up that it couldn't really build anything up yet. The main focus is a boy and his backpack, but the first few chapters don't even really get into the nature of their bond much.
Dai Dark definitely has the dark weirdness of Hayashida's previous work, but it may take a while to see if its characters develop enough to make it a lasting series.
Dai Dark definitely nails the intriguingly weird set up, as it focuses on a young man who possess a strange and deadly power, and spends his time traveling in space with a magical skeleton backpack.
One volume may actually not be enough to assess this one. Dorohedoro just had much clearer stakes: A man in a magic city was turned into a lizard, and he wants to find who did it. Boom, there's your protagonist agency. Dai Dark is a bit more nebulous about its goals.
This leads to an issue I hadn't even considered until reading this: Q Hayashida works best when exploring relationships. They're a creator with a real knack for exploring different kinds of friendship, and it seems like the first volume of Dai Dark spends so much time on set up that it couldn't really build anything up yet. The main focus is a boy and his backpack, but the first few chapters don't even really get into the nature of their bond much.
Dai Dark definitely has the dark weirdness of Hayashida's previous work, but it may take a while to see if its characters develop enough to make it a lasting series.
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Interesting story. Cool characters (and character designs). Funny. I didn’t really like Dorohedoro so I’m actually surprised I liked Dai Dark. Can’t wait for the second volume volume.
FUCKIN' HAYASHIDA!!!! I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!! THESE CHARACTERS!!
I can't stop laughing. Very very very few books I re-read immediately after finishing. This is one of them. If you loved Dorohedoro, you will not be disappointed with Dai Dark.
MEAPWICH!
I can't stop laughing. Very very very few books I re-read immediately after finishing. This is one of them. If you loved Dorohedoro, you will not be disappointed with Dai Dark.
MEAPWICH!
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder