Feb 6, 2019
Maki Kouji's God Sider, published in WSJ for all but a year, from 1987 to 1988, is a largely forgotten work. There's an official (digital) release of all 8 volumes, yet there's virtually no information about the manga itself available in English, possibly due to being released with absolutely no fan fare or marketing from the publisher's behalf.
But as it is, God Sider is truly something worth checking, for the novelty factor and the chance to read one of the few WSJ battle shounen with a complete English translation.
So, what is God Sider about, and what is the appeal and reason someone should read
...
this obscure title?
Well. God Sider is the story of a boy, who happens to be the son of Lucifer, Satan before his fall from grace. This boy, Reiki is suddenly becomes aware of his powers after his city is attacked by a group of demons, with the goal of awakening Satan from his slumber. That's the basic premise, which is simple enough, but the real appeal isn't in the depth of the story, the appeal if the overall absurdity and scale of the story, which escalates in each arc, which there are three in total of, and the graphic artwork.
God Sider is what you get when you throw in a bit of Go Nagai's work, some Fist of the North Star, which the author was originally an assistant for, and some Saint Seiyai like transformations. Then you add in a ton of gore, lots of vulgarity, some hilarious stereotypes of Americans, Buddhism, eroguro, and mass chaos and destruction. Also, some spontaneous power ups for good measure. If you like these things, are aren't looking for a well thought out story, and just pure battle manga, you're in for a good surprise! It totally pushes the boundaries for just how disgustingly graphic the genre can be. God Sider is an absolute blast that I want more people to experience!
*All 8 volumes are available digitally on Amazon and ComiXology for around 5 bucks a volume*
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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