Nov 25, 2024
Domu – Spoiler Free – Mixed Feelings
TLDR
Story – 4/10 – 4 x 0.275 = 1,1
Art – 8/10 – 8 x 0.2 = 1,6
Characters – 3/10 – 3 x 0.225 = 0,675
Enjoyment – 6/10 – 6 x 0.3 = 1,8
Total: 5,175 -> 5
Story – 4/10
...
Domu is a manga made by the mangaka of Akira, Otomo Katsuhiro. However, unlike Akira, which, despite its fair share of problems, is a terrific manga, Domu doesn’t have much substance. It is a very short manga – only one volume long – and doesn’t develop many things.
However, Domu has the merit of being a runner-up for Akira: there was only Akira because there was Domu. One can sense that many of the things that were included in Akira were essayed here first: the espers, the mentally unstable characters with the power to wreak havoc, the malevolence of some characters, and even the atmosphere.
Domu serves as a museum: through it, we are able to see the beginning of Akira, but on its own it doesn’t offer that much.
But again, the main purpose of this manga was to train what would become Akira, not to offer a fully-fledged story.
The story in itself is quite elementary: there is a sequence of deaths, a culprit is yet to be found, and there is a disturbing, psychic force that is disrupting the lives of the apartment block we follow.
The ending sequence is quite satisfactory and really sets the tone that we are going to find in Akira: total destruction at the hands of espers in an action-packed sequence.
Other than some aspects of the story, it isn’t all that memorable.
Art – 8/10
Page and panel flow aren’t the best, making it difficult to follow the plot along. Although we once more sense a pre-Akira: the excellence of the art style, the detail, the character design: everything reminds us of what is yet to be. This is one of the biggest compliments one can give, as Akira’s art style is quite good.
Characters – 3/10
There aren’t that many characters, nor are they well-developed, as the main focus of this manga is clearly the plot. There is Etsuko or the detectives, but little attention is given to either of them.
Enjoyment – 6/10
Again, in itself, Domu isn’t worth that much, as it is a short manga that lacks development character-wise and has a subpar story. It has the privilege of being a relic: forever a proto-Akira, but not worth its own (aside from some action-fueled scenes). The second half of the manga is better paced than the first, and there is less dialogue and more action. For all these reasons, it deserves a mixed-feelings stamp.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
.png)
