Vagrant Soldier Ares

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Rather than rant about the fanatical actions I took to obtain and “read” through… till the end of the series… I just wanted to say… “Wow.” Or more like “Holy cow… What a freakin’ good manga series this turned out to be.” Well, at least for me… but, it’s a complete turn-over of interest for me. Rarely do I find myself actually enjoying Fighting-oriented manga/anime series… yet… Friends, this was certainly not an ordinary series to miss. It’s got the whole deal of a splendid series, perhaps even almost qualified as epic. Absolutely clever and creative plot and story involved, very genuine and personal characters ... included, and marvelous details in both art and developments (in story) incorporated within. Gah! I am still practically speechless from the pure enjoyment that I was able to feel from this series. Really, it was altogether a fantastic experience for me to encounter this series. It’s just that amazing of a series… Really, I am surprised not a lot of people have discovered its awesomeness. :P
Anyways, to the reasoning why I actually am fanatical over this particular series…

The Story~

For once, as it is a rare case for many as well as myself, I was hooked onto this series after just reading the first couple of chapters. The plot was already immensely intriguing. I could not help but see the following series of events… From the beginning of just meeting the three “main” protagonists, I just wanted to see what sorts of incidents and encounters they would have to confront later in the story.

I’m not so familiar with the original plot idea or whatever, but basically it seemed to almost revolve around something like the Mythic ages of old Mesopetamia and Mynos and whatnot… The story of Troy, however, was not a major plot factor… What’s somewhat amusing, as it is in many other series, is the usage of anachronisms throughout the plot. Who would have thought the people would dress like they were from the modern age, eh? Anyway, the story initially takes place during this tumultuous era but within a period of peace that several countries experience. Regardless, one finds that the main characters try to join up in the Mercenary squadron of the military… Although, they want to earn money from defeating wanted criminals and bandits, they confront an even more dire situation…

Anyway, from the start… The Adventure that takes place sets off the story. Then, as the plot progresses, drama becomes another complementary factor that stirs in more details and background about characters and settings. Those details along with multiple cliffhanger scenes drive the story forward. Although maybe somewhat subtle and hidden, one can see that the “Fights” and battles that take place for particular reasons. The manhwa artist truly utilizes his characters skillfully in a way to illustrate the themes and feelings which a reader can personalize with. Tension, distress, and joy are all provided with efficient and illustrative details from the art, narrations, and dialogues.
From beginning to end, I felt that nothing could replace the absolute creativeness and appeal that this series demonstrated to me.

The Art~

To be honest, I was hesitant to start this series because of the fact that I did not particularly find the cover art very attractive. Nevertheless, I sought to try it out since the plot summary was at least a bit alluring, to my tastes. And so, after I became so entangled and fascinated with the plot itself, I don’t know what exactly my reaction was to the art… I either became very accustomed to its unique and somewhat crude style… or, I just started to love it since it really was different. I mean, the details in the “sketching” part of the manhwa are quite amazing. I don’t recall reading any other sort of manga/comic that contained so much detail in Fight-scenarios. I mean like, I personally would have it so tedious to have so many “windows” (I don’t remember the exact term for each scene displayed in a manga) of repeated armor, weapon, wound, and background setting designs. But the manhwa artist actually worked quite thoroughly to make many shapes and figures symmetrical and rather precise. Then, the general layout of characters were more or less proportional and yet somewhat rigid and lanky looking… Regardless, I found that no major distortions were drawn which made the art style appropriate and genuine for reading with the story.

The Characters~

Ah… Well, outside of the art realm, the characters were almost human. I mean, c’mon, there are always exaggerations and other hyperboles that every author loves to use, and well, the manhwa author/artist is no exception. Nevertheless, for the most part, I could see why the characters reacted because of their very “personal” traits. When something really triggers you to just want to punch something or someone, you’d really go and do it, right? Well, that’s the same reaction each character possesses in this story. What truly infuriates certain characters make them go berserk. It’s quite a relief, or maybe just something “good,” to be able to actually “sense” the emotions that the characters possess at certain times. It’s not like every good book has its realistic characters, right? But, this is an exception. Each person in real life has some sort of history and or reason for why he or she does things right? Of course there are those spontaneous people, but, spontaneity is not completely motive-free. And well, in this story, those statements are also true. The character development and character revelation of history and background provide effective information to really understand and appreciate each character. Erm, I don’t mean that the author actually goes around Flash-backing left and right… but, it’s much more integrated with other people within the story.. and then, there are connections to actual events and situations that are perhaps not always relevant to the actual storyline, but at least intriguing and touching to read about. Altogether, I enjoyed reading about the transformations and progressions of characters. Each character possessed entertaining traits that I always loved to read more about.

Enjoyment Factor?

Ermm… Each chapter ended… with a major cliffhanger… I couldn’t resist to read more. Chapter after chapter… I found the plot developing… the characters revealing their personalities and histories… and well, the art style was just so enticing… Practically everything about the manhwa was amazing. Then again, my Final impression of the story left me slightly sore because of, well, the climax of the second main story… I shan’t spoil it any further… I urge you to read and find out what I mean… Each of the seemingly endless battles reaches a pinnacle point so many times that the manhwa writer finally decides to settle it at the end of the series. Really, once one’s started this series, there’s no retreating away from it.

(P.S. It’s my terrible habit to start off with my extremely random and trivial commentary when writing reviews, as perhaps seen previously… It’s just that I have to show my high interest level in a more personal way in order for me to actually get going on the actual details of why I like a series or whatever. I’m sorry for the Fluffiness, in other words. :P
P.S.S. I do not want you to feel like this load of Fluff was for nothing… Please, do give Ares a try. This is one not so well-recognized series that deserves more credit than it has been thus far granted.)

If you like war stuff and fighting, then this is the type of manhwa for you. Despite being a fairly heavy topic, the characters and their interactions does not make it as depressing as some other manga though this does change as the story progresses. It is kind of strange and refreshing to see a story that sometimes glorifies war. I will say the author was very good at building up suspense which is one of the main reason I kept reading on.

The main thing i disliked about it was that it embodied some very predictable tropes later on and some parts are unbelievable.

This is the first Korean manga I read and I effing love it. One look at Ares and Michael, and the way that the manga is drawn, I immediately fell victim of addiction.

At first it was quite confusing since I was used to read from right to left. It was not until the fourth pages that I realized that you are supposed to read it as usual, not like a manga from Japan.

Anyway, it is about three young kids turns warriors in a war or carnage. They might look innocent but each has strange and dark past that constituted the savageness of their nature. ...

I really enjoy this manga and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Claymore/Berserk. I have no qualm to give it full mark because I love it that much.

What can I say about this story that hasn't been said already. For starters it's not perfect but it comes close for a shonen fighting series. Ares is in one word Epic. I don't favor that word because of the modern over-usage of it but that is the single best word to describe the action thrills that come from Ares. Most of the characters are fantastic with special mention going to Mikael and Ares who are stand outs among a good cast. All the characters are painted realistically with their own motives and desires. It does have funny and heartwarming moments to go with the ... action and drama, so it doesn't take itself too seriously. Warning though there are character deaths and many tense moments so if you are looking for something light hearted this might not be for you. There really was only one moment where the characters began holding the idiot ball, aka author manipulation. The part in question could only happen with a few OOC (out of character moments) and multiple mistakes in the worst way. It makes you say "why didn't they just do it this way!" that keeps Ares from a perfect score. Despite the hiccup Ares is an amazing series with war, fighting, tactics, friendship, comedy, tragedy, and love. Any person who enjoys action will find something to like about ARES.

Adventure stories are mostly exciting stories. There are several parameters that make the level of these stories rise to the top or not. You should take the stakes of the universe, the construction of the world where the story takes place, the construction of the characters, the course of the events and many other minor elements.
For Vagrant Soldier Ares, I'm honored to say that it checks all the slots. I think it's an excellent manhwa, and possibly one of the best adventure stories I've ever read, or at least one of the ones I was most excited about.
The story takes place in a world ... broken by territorial wars and impressive geopolitical issues. The author immerses us in a complex and painful universe where the law of the strongest reigns. We see this story through the eyes of young teenage mercenaries. This is how we are put into an adventure where various genres and ideas are combined.
First of all, I love the world-building of manhwa. As I said before, the author made a real effort to give us worthy and interesting stakes. We understand very quickly the challenges of the universe and what it implies for our characters. This is a real catching point that allows us to be fully involved in the story. In the course of the manga, the geopolitical situations change and each time it brings its part of surprise. On 26 volumes, it is quite honorable.
Then, a strong point is the development of the characters. The cast of the manhwa is really excellent. We are presented with characters with endearing personalities and sometimes even more complex than it seems. Where some works choose the easy way by accumulating stereotypes, in Ares there is a real work around these characters, and the path they take to evolve and face the challenges they face. The author has fun taking us against the grain by working around the notions of heroism and anti-heroism, war and its consequences. There is a real sublimation of the adventure story genre. There is a real exploration of the typical psychologies of soldiers and the consequences of war.
Finally, I would like to come back to the drawing. I have become a real fan of the author's style. There's a real charm to his imperfect style, where you multiply the size of the line to accentuate feelings or postures. We are in something quite similar to Taiyou Matsumoto, even if the cutting is not as advanced as the latter. In any case, there is a real charm in it. If I had had the chance to draw a manga, I would have gone towards this kind of style.
Ares ... It was really a crazy adventure. I keep very good memories of it, especially because all the points mentioned before really won me over. Nowadays, there are few adventure stories that offer us so much stake and work around the psycology of the characters. I was surprised to be so involved in the story. In a few years, I will probably enjoy reading this story again.

Many people says don't judge a book by its cover, well... i did, but after i read the summary, I found it unusually interesting. Even though the art is not the type I would usually like, the story totally filled in the dissatisfaction of the art. Not only is the story great, the epic battles and wars fought was mind blowing. With strange turn of events in the story, one can't help but want to read even more.

Ares is a fun, action-packed manga and has great surprises.

The characters are fun, charismatic and have a certain depth to them. That said, the author doesn't develop them, wanting to give that depth to artificially impact what happens to them. For me it didn't work, causing me not to have a connection with them.
Even those who have a more important role in the story lack a deeper understanding. However, at least their charisma manages to maintain an interest in the story.

The protagonist, Ares, is the typical brainless character. However, its purity manages to generate great moments in history, so it has its merits.

The story is ... good, it manages to surprise at various times. From fights to character revelations. The way he builds antagonists and the struggles he has with them is very commendable.
However, history lacks in detailing the details of what is proposed, this being the war. For example: the author likes to give the war a lot of impact on people's lives, being very raw and merciless with the characters. Trouble is, he only cites it, not giving a further development to the characters' pain at losing their loved ones or showing a character who had his vision changed after the war consumed his life.
That said, as an action it's still an excellent work. Always being emotional and delivering well-crafted fight scenes.

The art, it is the weakest part of the manga. In general, isolated fights can deliver a good job with good choreography and action scenes, but when they are army battle scenes it gets confusing and unclear.

Ares was a good read delivering great battles and a very lively story. However, failing to deliver more depth and connection to their characters.

I really love this series.
For people that like wars, this is really cool. For people that likes everything JUST on war, the tactics, the blood, and no little "non-war" scenes, this is for you. The plot never strays from its original tale; a tale of war and fighting. It sticks to the topic, and even if you see romance and go, "Ugh. Romance. Thats not war." YOU ARE WRONG. Everything is important, down to the very last event that happens.Although, I didn't see any MAJOR plot twists, the plot is still really good AND IT FOLLOWS THE PURPOSE.
Truthfully, I was clicking the suprise me button ... and I happened to stumble upon this. I was on mangahere, and at first, I couldn't even recongnise what the cover was. That was what sparked my curiosity, "What was on that cover?" I must say, I thank the artist for such a particular type of art. It's really original-it's so much easier to recongise in the mass of other types of art styles.
Anyway, so I clicked. And read. And kept on reading. And I didn't stop until I was done with these 207 chapters.
Maybe the screentime for some of the characters are...lacking, but the main ones get their spotlight. Its true that the author tends to kill off a lot of the characters in short time, but thats just because, theres too MUCH characters. This is war. Don't expect there to be only 10 people fighting a war. So no, you will not see every characters' deep dark secrets, since they will die very fast. Some, you will, but only the main characters. One thing I am not-so-happy about is that the art makes a lot of the characters look the same. I don't know, maybe its just me, but sometimes I get confused over which character is which and what their name was; the downfall of having too much characters.
Do not let that discourage you! This is a good manga (manhwa). No one should judge without reading it. You don't know anything if you don't read it. So read! And be happy about rolling heads and pretty sword-play!
Wow~ I think this contains nearly no spoilers~! SO enjoy this manga! Lookin' forward to you joining the fandom!

One of the greatest warfare manga/manhwa I have ever read. The major characters are extremely well-written, both the protagonist and the antagonists are well-liked and believable. Their personalities stand out, and their background is great.

One of the things I do love about the main character, Ares, is that he's not some goody-two-shoes who's afraid of killing people and is going to win through peace and love and make friends along the way. He's the kind of guy who would kill anyone he has to, and he doesn't flinch one bit. I suppose maybe it's because I've read a little too much shounen manga recently that ... I find it very refreshing to have a main character who doesn't just rely on the power of friendship to save the day.

Something else to bring up is that the main characters are very strong. They are able to kills dozens upon dozens of men all by themselves, and it just feels so badass when that happens. If you enjoy watching strong characters, then this is definitely a good one.

Another thing I love is that there are a lot of character deaths. It is a seinen manga, so deaths are to be expected, though there are some deaths that seemingly come out of nowhere, which increases the impact of the character's death even more. Something else to point out is that the story does not dwell on a person's death for too long. There are many people that die throughout the story, but there may be only about half a chapter, sometimes it's just one or two panels, and then the story continues on. It really brings up this feeling, the reality of being expendable, where no matter how strong a person really is, at the end of the day, it's just one person, and they really aren't going to change the course of a battle all on their own.

The twists and turns in this manhwa are great, and keep you turning to the next page looking to find out what happens next.

The last thing I want to bring up is the art-style. This is definitely the most controversial opinion, as Ares does not have a "beautiful" art-style. When reading seinen warfare manga, most people are probably expecting art-style similar to Kingdom, or Vagabond, or many others. Then they come to Ares and are turned off by the art-style for being too different. Personally I really love the art-style. This is the only story you'll ever see with this kind of art-style, and I think it adds to the feel of the story. It's a little hard for me to explain. I can't find the particular words that make me feel this way, but somehow, it just feels like this art-style was meant for this kind of manhwa. After having read all 207 chapters three times now, it's very hard for me to imagine this story in any other art-style. It really is quite unique, and there are some very amazing panels.

This is an absolutely amazing warfare seinen manga with great character development, backstories, personalities, lots of fighting, and a good amount of world building, or should I say continent building. If you are a fan of warfare of any amount, then I highly suggest you check out this manga. This is one of my favorites, and I always find myself coming back to it every now and then. I've done 3 full reads of the story, and I'm sure it won't be my last!

If any manga or manhwa (as i believe it actually is) is more deserving and needed than Ares. From alone reading the first chapter in a different style of up to down instead of the usual right to left i am used to it was a breath of fresh air. I found the story compelling and gripping and reminded me alot of berserk with alot less demons and gods. Introduction of op characters was also very awesome and these main characters are left in kind of mystery and bits and pieces are added as the story goes on. I truly loved Michael as a ... character , finding he is actually a prince of a kingdom halfway was a huge mind blow. Baroona was also a favorite. All the different factions and armies introduced , each having their own unique characteristics and personalities. I can truly say this is a must read and highly recommended.