Shuumatsu no Walküre Kitan: Jack the Ripper no Jikenbo
Record of Ragnarok: Jack the Ripper Case Files

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7.5/10


From Record of Ragnarok, Jack The Ripper had quickly become and remained one of my favorite characters of all time. However, he was only one of the many characters a part of the manga, so once his arc was over, I thought it was a waste of potential. Seeing this manga, I was curious to see which direction the author has decided to take. Admittedly, I thought the plot would be Jack The Ripper’s upbringing, but I was pleasantly surprised when the manga is about Jack being a part of an organization that eradicates evil via killing. However, this manga is definitely a one-man show ... as Jack slowly eradicates the roots of an evil organization.

No matter how poetic his story is, it is a concept written countless times before, which makes it a hard hurdle to overcome to be good. However, the redeeming factors of the manga are the badass moments and the art. Record of Ragnarok had always been on the top tier end of art styles, and thankfully, this is no different. It’s packed with gore and insane detail, making the fight scenes distinct from most mangas.

Honestly, it is a good read, but I know there won’t be any character development nor more details on the world, which is a bit unsatisfactory. I’d give it a shot if you can stomach mild gore and enjoy solo mcs fighting evil.

PS: I’m definitely fangirling over Jack, but that is only a testament to how well-written his character has been; everything about him is so poetic. Also, these are some long ahh chapters, so I don’t think it’s a premature review.

Reading Rankings (Portnoy inspired + A Huang-Teizan Original)
10 - God’s penmanship
9 - Must-read. Drop everything else.
8 - Instant bookmark
7 - Entertaining
6 - Good to pass time
5 - Why are you reading this?
4 - Bad.
3 - Typical garbage.
2 - My head hurts.
1 - Retirement is a thought.
0 - “Did they even give you a story?!”

Given just how much I like the original, this was very bad. I'm surprised it was written by the same people, it feels much more like something written by someone that did not enjoy the original logic of this character.
It completely kills the idea of Jack and his fight in the original series. Even his original backstory sticks out like a sore thumb next to his new portrayal. If he wasn't even an actual evil serial killer, why the hell would he be seen as the worst of humanity? Did his desire to kill women just begin and end with his mother? "The worst ... guy in history" is actually just an anti-hero? It feels very lazy.
The art is great as always, not entirely realistic, but more exaggerated at impactful times. So there's nothing to complain there, if you liked the original's art, you'll like this one's.

I wonder if they'll do more, some sort of victorian Dexter. I will probably not check out the rest and would not advise other fans to do so. It's a quick read, but a pretty disappointing one.