Mangaka : Ryu Kum-chel
Everything has as much value as we ascribe to it. Even wars, the most wasteful of all human actions can stand for something bigger,
Premise: 3/5
The story is set in an alternate world where nations are ruled by kings and are embroiled in wars with each other the most central among them being Chronos. In a lawless land the man with the biggest gun is the law, which is what causes the rampant problem of bandits all over the nation. The organisation given the most attention are the mercenary legions ie sell-swords. They are paid to fight in the wars for a king or nobleman and have to allegiance to anyone except the contract.
And in the middle of all this 3 kids who join the mercenaries for fame and fortune.
Plot: 4/5
The story follows 3 recruits in "Temple Mercenaries", who posses prodigious skills, enough to be considered the best of their generation. They gradually acknowledge each others skills and become friends with each other. As the story progresses we see their individual pasts and how it has shaped them into the people they are.
Much of the story is dominated by wars and military campaigns with a hawk-eye view of the events and why any battle shown was significant.
The characters are portrayed with depth and sometimes with details of their circumstance, something I enjoy very much. Not a shounen manga for sure, maybe light seinen.
There is no gradual level up against even stronger opponents as the main characters start off strong.
Multiple points of views are used for story telling which give the manga a lot more depth. Plus it succeeds in showing a harsh non-glorified view of war and conflict, something no other manga I have read thus far does.
Romance is very much underplayed in the manga except as a motive to fight.
Character: 3/5
Ares, our one eyed protagonist is an idiot. I guess its best to equate him with Naruto, a lot more toned down though because he doesn't run around making friends with his enemies. Most of the time they end up dead. What he lacks in general social sense he more than makes up for with strength and skill.
He is the apprentice of the legendary 'Swordsman of the Wind' and joins the mercenaries in hopes of kill the one who assassinated his master.
Barona, an Draakian ex-gladiator who escapes and winds up in Chronos. More gentle and even tempered of the 3 he is also a chain smoker. He is the one with the least number of issues in this series and that should tell you something right of the bat.
Michael, a swordsman with a vicious temper. Not that he ever losses control. His rage is a cold calculating thing. As the series progresses he is shown to soften a bit and care about his friends.
While writing these I realized the futility of trying to list all the important characters because there are simply too many of them spaced out among the many arcs each one fascinating in his/her own right.
Art 2.5/5
I have always maintained that crap art does not get in the way of a good story.
Plot: 4/5
The story follows 3 recruits in "Temple Mercenaries", who posses prodigious skills, enough to be considered the best of their generation. They gradually acknowledge each others skills and become friends with each other. As the story progresses we see their individual pasts and how it has shaped them into the people they are.
Much of the story is dominated by wars and military campaigns with a hawk-eye view of the events and why any battle shown was significant.
The characters are portrayed with depth and sometimes with details of their circumstance, something I enjoy very much. Not a shounen manga for sure, maybe light seinen.
There is no gradual level up against even stronger opponents as the main characters start off strong.
Multiple points of views are used for story telling which give the manga a lot more depth. Plus it succeeds in showing a harsh non-glorified view of war and conflict, something no other manga I have read thus far does.
Romance is very much underplayed in the manga except as a motive to fight.
Character: 3/5
Ares, our one eyed protagonist is an idiot. I guess its best to equate him with Naruto, a lot more toned down though because he doesn't run around making friends with his enemies. Most of the time they end up dead. What he lacks in general social sense he more than makes up for with strength and skill.
He is the apprentice of the legendary 'Swordsman of the Wind' and joins the mercenaries in hopes of kill the one who assassinated his master.
Barona, an Draakian ex-gladiator who escapes and winds up in Chronos. More gentle and even tempered of the 3 he is also a chain smoker. He is the one with the least number of issues in this series and that should tell you something right of the bat.
Michael, a swordsman with a vicious temper. Not that he ever losses control. His rage is a cold calculating thing. As the series progresses he is shown to soften a bit and care about his friends.
While writing these I realized the futility of trying to list all the important characters because there are simply too many of them spaced out among the many arcs each one fascinating in his/her own right.
Art 2.5/5
I have always maintained that crap art does not get in the way of a good story.
Good art however can amplify a story's impact.
Ares is different in this area. I have never seen anything like the squiggly lines coming together on the page as a scene or a characters face. The entire manga is like a children's book but it kinda intensifies the effect of war. The magaka can warp the space so that the soldiers resemble the Hyaki Yakou and the weapons bend when swung.
He also seems to use anachronisms, such as the mercenaries wearing watches and shoes as opposed to sandals I guess, although I have no idea of that is significant or not.
Verdict:
I read this manga twice and both the times I enjoyed it immensely. I recommend that all of you read it. Let me know how you liked it.
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