Oct 15, 2024
The best fantasy manga you're not (yet) reading. Tower Dungeon has incredible art, interesting characters, and a setting that's quite intriguing. Tsutomu Nihei is best known for his science fiction works Blame! and Knights of Sidonia, and Tower Dungeon is his first foray into fantasy. It's refreshing and exciting to see him dive into a new genre. From the environment to the character designs to the pacing, this is a master at work.
Nihei is, first and foremost, an environmental storyteller. He shows much more than tells compared to other mangaka. Panels with no text are frequent and set the mood. Combined with his incredible creature
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and armor design, Tower Dungeon is a visual feast.
The setup is simple: a Tower has appeared and the princess has been captured by the Necromancer. Warriors across the land are seeking to rescue her by ascending the Dragon Tower. Yuva, our main character, is drafted to help. As Yuva meets his party and they progress up the tower, the story unravels.
Nihei's art is unlike any other. Heck, it's not even like his early art from his Blame! era. His style has shifted over the decades, getting looser, impressionistic, and modern. If you find the first chapter's art a little off-putting at first, I recommend sticking with it, as it serves the series well. It can just be a little surprising if you're not aware of his style change. His use of black in Tower Dungeon is top tier. I'm so glad Kodansha is going to put this out in print starting in 2025, as I think it'll look gorgeous.
If you're looking for a new series to pick up, give Tower Dungeon a shot. I can't wait to see where it goes from here, as many pieces have been laid, and Nihei is one of the best mangaka working currently with a proven record of making compelling stories unlike anyone else.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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