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wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.75
For a first volume of manga, it opens up a lot of questions but not much is answered. There's quite a bit of intrigue going around and some of the world building is very interesting (especially the keys/dimensional travel situation) but I'm not particularly invested.
The characters seemed like pretty typical stereotypes, the story was a bit lacking, the setting was fine, the art style was cool, but also confusing. This might be one where I try the anime to see how I feel about it.
The characters seemed like pretty typical stereotypes, the story was a bit lacking, the setting was fine, the art style was cool, but also confusing. This might be one where I try the anime to see how I feel about it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Violence, Bullying, Blood, Death, and Death of parent
stormywolf's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I watched this story's anime way back when it was on Toonami and fell in love. A plucky teenage protagonist discovering a hidden magical world in which the forces of good and evil are locked in battle, deciding to join the fight, and slowly peeling back the misconceptions and corruption of this new world in his journey through school? What's not to love? I even found the manga online and read the unofficial translations for a while. When the anime came back in 2017, effectively erasing the last half of the non-canon first season in favor of the next arc from the manga, I was excited to see the gang back in action. But it took my recent forays into reading the medium to finally get me to revisit the manga proper.
Read my full review of the story thru Vol 4 at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I have a lot of love for this story. From its quirky yet heartfelt characters, its fascinating world that blends old superstitions and modern sensibilities, and its overall message of acceptance and looking past what divides us to what unites us, there's a lot to love. Even if you're not big on manga or comics, I'd recommend at least picking up the first volume if you enjoy YA supernatural stories, action-packed adventures, or even sibling rivalry melodramas. An engaging story that allows for more intricacies and details to get introduced as it goes on, I have no doubt it'll hook some of you in no time. As for me, I'll be slowly but surely making my way through the 29 volumes my library has available.
Read my full review of the story thru Vol 4 at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I have a lot of love for this story. From its quirky yet heartfelt characters, its fascinating world that blends old superstitions and modern sensibilities, and its overall message of acceptance and looking past what divides us to what unites us, there's a lot to love. Even if you're not big on manga or comics, I'd recommend at least picking up the first volume if you enjoy YA supernatural stories, action-packed adventures, or even sibling rivalry melodramas. An engaging story that allows for more intricacies and details to get introduced as it goes on, I have no doubt it'll hook some of you in no time. As for me, I'll be slowly but surely making my way through the 29 volumes my library has available.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Violence, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence
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