Vigilante justice. It's a topic that's frequented by many pieces of fiction, often glorified, painted black-and-white, oversimplified, or accompanied by sociopathic characters. The moral and psychological nuances that are tied with this subject are likewise dumbed down, leading to stories that feel both unrealistic and emotionally distant. It's a tragedy among storytelling that I've seen repeated far too many times, and going into Kimi no Knife, I certainly didn't have the highest of hopes. Luckily, the manga demonstrated through its more mature and thoughtful take that it wasn't going to be your average Joe action narrative.
This becomes apparent right from the first murder
...
scene. Shiki took up the lucrative but dangerous job as a hitman to pay for his sister's cancer medications, but despite the target clearly being described as an unforgivable criminal, Shiki couldn't bring himself to 'deliver justice' for his mysterious informant. Yes, there's something fundamentally disturbing about killing another human being, a simple concept that so many stories have entirely ignored. Even as he would eventually get used to his job through the course of the story, there's always a specter of guilt and hesitation weighing on both his actions and his conscience. There will be no excuse-making, no 'siding with justice' drivel: Shiki understands the weight of his actions, however overwhelming.
Each bounty becomes a test of Shiki's ethical boundaries, as the information of the targets starts to seem less reliable, and actions start affecting bystanders around the targets, including friends, family, and witnesses to the murders. Are they guilty by association? How should Shiki handle the innocents who could very well have him jailed or even killed after seeing his crimes? Life doesn't always go his way, and when he's forced to make such tough decisions, they strongly reflect on how he develops as a person, and it's freaking excellent. You start to notice these subtle but increasingly relevant changes in his mindset, and by the end of the story, there's nothing but respect for his character. Yes, he's made mistakes. Yes, he's done some terrible things. But he tries time and time again to do the right things amidst all his wrongs, and it's that nuanced portrayal of the human aspect that counts for the most.
Then there's his partner-in-crime Kuzumi, a local police detective and undercover hitman. Employed by the same clandestine agency as Shiki, Kuzumi fights for his own brand of justice, as his previous passion in crime-fighting became overtaken by disappointment for the legal system. That being said, once again, Kuzumi does not try to paint himself as some kind of righteous hero; he knows that his circumvention of the law has its own flawed implications, and he's admitted to acting out for his own peace of mind than anything else.
His character is a perfect complement to Shiki's, the foremost reason being his starkly different judgment and moral compass. This guy is decisive and resourceful, always thinking rationally about how to execute their plans in the most efficient and effective manner, thwarting any police action, and setting up each crime scene with the intent of misdirecting any legal agents. Naturally, this includes brutal suggestions of killing off any witnesses, as witnesses tend to be the single worst loose end to any crime. But the qualities of his character don't just end there. Oftentimes, his suggestions are simply devil's advocate to Shiki's more compassionate nature, and even when he logically doesn't agree with Shiki's judgment, his own emotions and respect for Shiki lend him to acquiesce to the messier, but more humane alternatives. This has landed them in disastrous situations far too often, but he adapts accordingly, laboriously playing risk management and damage control of the group. Kuzumi's dynamic with Shiki is a fascinating relationship to follow, and his personality is much more nuanced than meets the eye.
In general, the characters of Kimi no Knife tend to be competent, multifaceted, and realistic. There are many that I haven't mentioned, some who stay throughout the scene and develop impressively, others who make a strong impact despite their short-lived appearance. Detective Hosaka in particular presents a very well-written character in his frustrations and efforts at bringing both yakuza baddies and the main two protagonists to justice, and the police department offers a passionate cast of characters who enrich the narrative through their actions and personalities. There are bystanders of the murders who end up joining Shiki and Kuzumi by choice or by circumstance, and the inclusion of these characters (including the cover girl, Itsuki) effectively add yet another dimension to the issue, while providing precious and revealing character moments in what slice-of-life the manga has to offer in downtime.
All that said, Kimi no Knife isn't a perfect story. The second half is paced a tad too fast for its own good, blazing through plot developments while offering shaky-at-best foundations for said events. It does build an effective sense of suspense and edge matching the desperation of the situation, but some events become hard to follow, and the ending in particular is a bit tough to accept. Certain elements of the story remain unexplained, and Itsuki's supernatural ability of being able to perceive another's mindset is never really used to great effect. This begs the question of why the author even bothered adding that element into the story, but for you guys who dislike the use of supernatural elements in fiction, it may be a relief.
Don't let the flaws deter you from reading this story though. Kimi no Knife offers a powerful experience, and a surprisingly character-driven one, as its characters are written with excellent foundation and thought in mind. The question of morals is explored very meticulously, and many characters possess intricate moral compasses and ideologies which change over time. Each crime scene is presented with increasingly strong weight and suspense, and even while the work carries significant momentum throughout, it also doesn't shy away from engaging on an emotional level when its characters break down or support each other through poor situations. Most importantly, this work's tone feels human: balanced, nuanced, and natural. In this aspect, it has completely surpassed my expectations.
Seriously, seriously consider giving this work a fair chance.
 Alternative TitlesSynonyms: Your Knife Japanese: 君のナイフ InformationType: Manga
Volumes: 10
Chapters: 71
Status: Finished
Published: Jul 8, 2009 to Apr 24, 2013
Theme:
Psychological
Demographic:
Seinen
Serialization:
Grand Jump Premium Authors:
Kotegawa, Yua (Story & Art) Statistics Ranked: #24992 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #1795
Members: 12,102
Favorites: 116 Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 5 / 5
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Feb 4, 2015
Vigilante justice. It's a topic that's frequented by many pieces of fiction, often glorified, painted black-and-white, oversimplified, or accompanied by sociopathic characters. The moral and psychological nuances that are tied with this subject are likewise dumbed down, leading to stories that feel both unrealistic and emotionally distant. It's a tragedy among storytelling that I've seen repeated far too many times, and going into Kimi no Knife, I certainly didn't have the highest of hopes. Luckily, the manga demonstrated through its more mature and thoughtful take that it wasn't going to be your average Joe action narrative.
This becomes apparent right from the first murder ... 
May 27, 2011
I grabbed this manga because the summary attracted me and it sounded like a good psychological manga, well it sort of is and not. To be clearer I really enjoyed the first two chapters, because they built up to great suspense. But that was it, for me those chapters were the best and made me expect even more or at least the same level of suspense further. It didn't happen, the manga levelled off from there on. There really isn't one main character, but most of the manga revolves around the two hitmen. The events in the manga happened too fast without much insight
...
Nov 16, 2013
It took close to two years to reach the end and I wanted to put a little something in here because it was worth the waiting. As I'm writing, I'm waiting for last chapter which I'm sure, will be a fair ending.
First, the plot was interesting. A young substitute teacher in need of money to live and to pay his sister's hospital few, becomes a hitman, partnering with a cop called Kuzumi. Reading this, it had to be interesting as soon as a cop is involved because sooner or later, the cat will be out of the bag and it will be bad. Where the manga ... 
Jan 6, 2014
Kimi no knife has a good plot line, it is secure and constant throughout the whole story. Although it has a good plot, parts of the story made me feel anxious. Usually, you'd think that's a good thing. While reading, it caused me to have an anxiety attack. I gave the story an 8/10 because it was well written and played out. I have the art a 9/10 because it was clean and polished. I gave the characters a 9/10 because I really enjoyed how each main character developed. Enjoy meant was an 8/10 because I enjoyed it the entire time even though my anxiety.
...
Feb 26, 2024
tl;dr: A pretty good thriller with a mixed bag in terms of characters and a pretty annoying ending.
“Would you kill someone for 5 million yen? What if they were a murderer?” This manga is the story of the protagonist, Shiki, getting pulled into being a hitman in order to pay for his sister’s medical bills. Shiki is just a substitute teacher, but his partner in crime, Kazumi, is an experienced police officer who doesn’t care about the money but rather seems to be taking part solely to vent his feeling regarding evildoers. With the targets being bad people and a skilled cop helping out it ... |
