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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Content Warning: Suicidal Ideation, Suicide, and Self Harm are basically all anyone talks about in this book.
Other Content Warnings: Attempted Murder, Blood, Death, Depression, and Violence.
I don't know why I kept reading this like I legitimately spent 3/4 of this book gritting my teeth thru reading. 1. It's sad to know that mental health stigma/treatment is just as bad in 2070 as in 2020, if not worse. 2. Apparently, someone's suicidal ideation is what people just spend their lives thinking about to an obsessive amount.
This was incredibly disappointing as someone whose experience with suicidal ideation is quite similar to Minami's, where it is always there but primarily passive.
The fact that Hanada chose to only focus on the suicidality also means that we are missing out on the opportunity for growth because Minami's depression is obviously not being successfully treated and is; as a result, a husk of a human being. This man does not have any hobbies, does not take days off, and eats solely nutrition cubes whose flavors are basically decided by RNG.
This choice to only focus on a symptom rather than the illness as a whole also means that when we have a moment that should have been impactful and an actual realization for Minami, it ends up falling flat. For example, not being his time to die could have been an impactful and thought-provoking moment for Minami.
My final and possibly biggest peeve is the entire last half of this book. Anyone who has been through any mental health triage training will tell you it never hurts to ask someone if they are considering killing themselves. By doing so, you will not be giving them the idea. Hanada takes this knowledge and burns it to the ground.
While there is some difference in how this question is presented by the antagonist vs. how it would be by someone meaning to help. The fact that Hanada chose that to be the reason that Minami spirals was infuriating. Especially when you hear that he hadn't previously considered methods of killing himself outside of dying in the line of duty.
The world is intriguing, but everything else is honestly hot garbage, and I hate it.
Other Content Warnings: Attempted Murder, Blood, Death, Depression, and Violence.
I don't know why I kept reading this like I legitimately spent 3/4 of this book gritting my teeth thru reading. 1. It's sad to know that mental health stigma/treatment is just as bad in 2070 as in 2020, if not worse. 2. Apparently, someone's suicidal ideation is what people just spend their lives thinking about to an obsessive amount.
This was incredibly disappointing as someone whose experience with suicidal ideation is quite similar to Minami's, where it is always there but primarily passive.
The fact that Hanada chose to only focus on the suicidality also means that we are missing out on the opportunity for growth because Minami's depression is obviously not being successfully treated and is; as a result, a husk of a human being. This man does not have any hobbies, does not take days off, and eats solely nutrition cubes whose flavors are basically decided by RNG.
This choice to only focus on a symptom rather than the illness as a whole also means that when we have a moment that should have been impactful and an actual realization for Minami, it ends up falling flat. For example, not being his time to die could have been an impactful and thought-provoking moment for Minami.
My final and possibly biggest peeve is the entire last half of this book. Anyone who has been through any mental health triage training will tell you it never hurts to ask someone if they are considering killing themselves. By doing so, you will not be giving them the idea. Hanada takes this knowledge and burns it to the ground.
While there is some difference in how this question is presented by the antagonist vs. how it would be by someone meaning to help. The fact that Hanada chose that to be the reason that Minami spirals was infuriating. Especially when you hear that he hadn't previously considered methods of killing himself outside of dying in the line of duty.
The world is intriguing, but everything else is honestly hot garbage, and I hate it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for a free review copy!
This was such a great first volume! I really like the premise (even though it's not anything new). I like the characters and the shojo are pretty interesting monsters. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes. Overall, not anything new but if you like the monster hunter/protecting the townspeople trope then you will definitely like this!
This was such a great first volume! I really like the premise (even though it's not anything new). I like the characters and the shojo are pretty interesting monsters. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes. Overall, not anything new but if you like the monster hunter/protecting the townspeople trope then you will definitely like this!
Rating: 4.25 leaves out of 5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 3/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre:Scifi
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes!
TW: Suicidal thoughts
First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review! I stepped outside of my comfort zone and wasn't disappointed. At first I was greatly concerned I wouldn't like it because of the art style but by the end it wasn't an issue and the story. Ah, how I love the story. I am so excited for volume 2. If you like the future, viruses, fighting scenes, and more than this is for you. I even have a ship though there isn't really romance in here. Lol.
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 3/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre:Scifi
Type: Manga
Worth?: Yes!
TW: Suicidal thoughts
First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review! I stepped outside of my comfort zone and wasn't disappointed. At first I was greatly concerned I wouldn't like it because of the art style but by the end it wasn't an issue and the story. Ah, how I love the story. I am so excited for volume 2. If you like the future, viruses, fighting scenes, and more than this is for you. I even have a ship though there isn't really romance in here. Lol.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for a free review copy!
This was such a great first volume! I really like the premise (even though it's not anything new). I like the characters and the shojo are pretty interesting monsters. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes. Overall, not anything new but if you like the monster hunter/protecting the townspeople trope then you will definitely like this!
This was such a great first volume! I really like the premise (even though it's not anything new). I like the characters and the shojo are pretty interesting monsters. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes. Overall, not anything new but if you like the monster hunter/protecting the townspeople trope then you will definitely like this!
4/5 stars
I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was an interesting, post-apocalyptic book! A virus turns people into monkey-like creatures when bitten. The remaining humans are doing their best to fight back, building sky cities and training Guards to fight these creatures.
The story focuses on one particular guard named Minami. He's insanely good at killing the creatures, but there's just one problem: he wants to die. He goes into each fight with no regard for his life. Obviously, this concerns the higher-ups as he's one of the best fighters they have, so they assign him a partner who is essentially there just to keep Minami from dying.
The story seems interesting so far. The art style isn't my favorite, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment. I like Minami, and I hope to see him grow as the story continues. This first volume spent a lot of time introducing the world and characters, and I'm curious to see where things will go from here. There are a lot of things about Minami in particular that remain a mystery from both the reader and even himself.
If you're into the dystopian genre and enjoy some psychological vibes, you'd probably like this series! I hope to pick up the next volume at some point!
Content: suicidal thoughts/talk, violence, maybe some swearing?
I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was an interesting, post-apocalyptic book! A virus turns people into monkey-like creatures when bitten. The remaining humans are doing their best to fight back, building sky cities and training Guards to fight these creatures.
The story focuses on one particular guard named Minami. He's insanely good at killing the creatures, but there's just one problem: he wants to die. He goes into each fight with no regard for his life. Obviously, this concerns the higher-ups as he's one of the best fighters they have, so they assign him a partner who is essentially there just to keep Minami from dying.
The story seems interesting so far. The art style isn't my favorite, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment. I like Minami, and I hope to see him grow as the story continues. This first volume spent a lot of time introducing the world and characters, and I'm curious to see where things will go from here. There are a lot of things about Minami in particular that remain a mystery from both the reader and even himself.
If you're into the dystopian genre and enjoy some psychological vibes, you'd probably like this series! I hope to pick up the next volume at some point!
Content: suicidal thoughts/talk, violence, maybe some swearing?
In a future world where a virus causes humans to become animal-like if bitten, Minami (also known as Blackguard) is a man with a huge skill to kill creatures, but also has a deathwish. With an illness which causes suicidal ideation, he is constantly hoping to die in battle, but is too capable and therefore unable to die. He is assigned a partner, Miyaji, who is there to ensure he doesn't succeed in his aim but continues his fight for humanity.
This is very dark but honestly the kind of grit I love. It also had a small amount of humour to break the vibe, but this is a very serious manga which I think could go very far. I genuinely cannot wait to read more of this and I will likely be buying in paperback to continue this story.
I received an ARC of this volume from Kodansha via Netgalley and leave my honest review voluntarily.
This is very dark but honestly the kind of grit I love. It also had a small amount of humour to break the vibe, but this is a very serious manga which I think could go very far. I genuinely cannot wait to read more of this and I will likely be buying in paperback to continue this story.
I received an ARC of this volume from Kodansha via Netgalley and leave my honest review voluntarily.
The storyline became more interesting towards the end of the volume in my opinion. It left me wanting to continue reading to see what happens next. Has a darker premise than what I typically read (TW: suicide ideation).
Thank you Kodansha and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Kodansha and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
TW: Suicide. Suicide ideation. Talk of suicide. There is a lot of mention of suicide. If suicide makes you even a little uncomfortable, I would skip this one.
To be quite frank, when I first saw this manga come through the store I work at all I could think was, what the heck is that cover? It made me a bit uncomfortable, and I wasn't feeling the art style at all. Of course, that also drew me in over and over again because it would catch the corner of my eye and then I'd be staring at it. When I read the back cover, I was pretty much in. I didn't buy it right away, but I had an interest in it. The art started to remind me of some CGI anime I'd seen in passing, and I started to appreciate it for it's simplicity more and more. And alas, I picked up the first book to give it a try.
I should have reviewed this right after reading book 1, but I dove right into 2. I promise not to spoil anything, or at least to put it in a spoiler if needed.
Blackguard 1 takes place in a future where a virus was brought back to Earth on a spacecraft. If someone is bitten the virus takes over a human's body in seemingly minutes, perhaps even seconds, and turns them into nothing more than aggressive, man-eating monsters. Our protagonist, Nanao Minami, works at an White Shield Security, an agency that protects the largest remaining city in all of Japan. He's the strongest guard member around, working by himself in the reserves as backup. There's just one problem, he has morbus si, a term for a general mental illness that affects many in this future. Minami's main symptom is his wish for death, suicide ideation. In order to ensure Minami's protection from himself, Chris Miyaji, the ace of Sector A is placed as his partner, to keep a watchful eye.
This spoiler is going to discuss the interaction between Minami and Miyaji throughout book 1.
I was expecting to follow Minami around for some time, just watching him kick some ass and take some names. I was hesitant on where we were going with the Miyaji character and how they would team up. I thought Miyaji would get in Minami's way more or that Minami might suddenly not be able to keep up. I'm glad I was wrong. I like that they have a surprisingly equal footing when it comes to fighting. Minami is the guardian angel of Sector B, but Miyaji can hold his own just fine. I like their chemistry, and right when I start to feel a little frustrated with them, we have a great moment where they get to connect with video games. Far warmer than I expected right out the gate.
My biggest concerns at the end of book 1 were the two new characters introduced towards the end, Ogino and Kawakami. They both feel very shallow, like they could easily become far too cliché. It's something I'm fearful of, I'm trying to leave it sounding open ended as to not spoil. Wink. Wink.
To be quite frank, when I first saw this manga come through the store I work at all I could think was, what the heck is that cover? It made me a bit uncomfortable, and I wasn't feeling the art style at all. Of course, that also drew me in over and over again because it would catch the corner of my eye and then I'd be staring at it. When I read the back cover, I was pretty much in. I didn't buy it right away, but I had an interest in it. The art started to remind me of some CGI anime I'd seen in passing, and I started to appreciate it for it's simplicity more and more. And alas, I picked up the first book to give it a try.
I should have reviewed this right after reading book 1, but I dove right into 2. I promise not to spoil anything, or at least to put it in a spoiler if needed.
Blackguard 1 takes place in a future where a virus was brought back to Earth on a spacecraft. If someone is bitten the virus takes over a human's body in seemingly minutes, perhaps even seconds, and turns them into nothing more than aggressive, man-eating monsters. Our protagonist, Nanao Minami, works at an White Shield Security, an agency that protects the largest remaining city in all of Japan. He's the strongest guard member around, working by himself in the reserves as backup. There's just one problem, he has morbus si, a term for a general mental illness that affects many in this future. Minami's main symptom is his wish for death, suicide ideation. In order to ensure Minami's protection from himself, Chris Miyaji, the ace of Sector A is placed as his partner, to keep a watchful eye.
This spoiler is going to discuss the interaction between Minami and Miyaji throughout book 1.
My biggest concerns at the end of book 1 were the two new characters introduced towards the end, Ogino and Kawakami. They both feel very shallow, like they could easily become far too cliché. It's something I'm fearful of, I'm trying to leave it sounding open ended as to not spoil. Wink. Wink.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Murder
I don't know what to think. The art is pretty horrendous, although I like the character design for the main character. Huge trigger warning for suicide ideation. Worldbuilding is intriguing.
adventurous
fast-paced
Really enjoyed this novel, the plot was intriguing and I'm looking forward to reading the next one to see where it goes.