Beageruta
Die Wergelder

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Die Wergelder is a dark and gritty series about badass women, sex and brutal action.

First thing I should say is this is definitely a story for mature readers, the author doesn’t hold back at all but I suppose that’s what you’re here for.

STORY
I think the story is really well done it doesn't spoon feed you information or treat u like you just learnt how to think. From what I’ve read (2 volumes) it’s about a yakuza group that has an interest in an island shrouded in mystery where one of our main characters was born.
Three badass women are somehow linked to ... the island which leads to plenty of action along the way. The characters are well designed and thought out they aren’t annoying or one sided keeping you invested in every bit of development.

Unfortunately I can’t say much on plot in a spoiler free review because the story is largely centred around plot twists and reveals which is so well done I find myself flicking back in the book putting the pieces together.
The story has lots of languages present which is normally quite confusing in other series but the physical translation is very well done along with characterised slang and phrases.

ACTION
The panelling is very clear and easy to follow without missing out on detail and variety, it’s very reminiscent of old martial arts films with direction like Quentin Tarantino. It’s cool plain and simple.
If the brutality doesn’t discourage you and you’re already drawn in by the characters and overall style I’d say it’s a must read.

This is the best black comedy I've ever seen in fiction.

This manga is a mix of everything- gore, comedy, rough sex, gunfights, martial arts, mafia, prostitution, experiments on people...

The story starts slowly, I think mangaka tried to identify the ground of his work. So we have a slow mafia-like start with yakuza identifying some shady buisness. The first volume introduces characters and setting. Aaand from the second volume onwards it is a hard ride without stopping.

The best thing is definitely the addition of comedy elements. It's mostly satyrical, for example we have a lady who works as a torturer for yakuza. She like ... to workout because she wants to be in shape. And how she does it? Riding on the electricity-making bike connected to the poor victim, stretching with rubbers connected to his skin via sharp metal spikes etc. You know, healthy lifestyle is important!

Sounds terrible? Yeah, it is gruesome... but it's so funny when you actually look at it. Add to this a mixture of interesting characters, catching story and awesome fights.

I honestly recommend it to everyone who wants something on a higher note with brutality and not cringy at the same time. That's why this work is so awesome. We don't have cringy badass characters. We have a lot of idiots. And badass killing machine women who are at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Beageruta is a dark sci-fi mystery story exploring criminal underworld set in a gritty pre-cyberpunk world where everything and everyone is fucked - both literally and figuratively.

If you enjoy flashy over the top action with a dash of realism and don't mind violence, drugs, profanity and sex this is quite a ride waiting to be experienced.

"You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star." (Art & Atmosphere)

One thing you'll notice right away is dark and gritty atmosphere. Going through the pages you simply can't shake off the pessimism permeating the scenes. The only thing you can be certain about is that ... everything has a price and nothing is ever clear-cut.

The opening scene alone is enough to get you hooked by the art. There is something about it which you don't often see - realistic flow of movement. It might seem a bit contradictory at first - "flashy and over the top but realistic sci-fi action" - however it turns out that the author has great knowledge of human anatomy and that clearly shows. While story has sci-fi elements you can clearly imagine the action scenes being played out in a Hollywood movie set in a modern day or near future setting. The only thing that might throw you off are the female character faces. For some reason they are very similar, so much so that sometimes you might mistake a newly introduced character scene for a flashback of already existing one. Good thing that they have plenty of different outfits, haircuts and personality traits to set them apart.

"Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody." (Characters)

Reading this manga you will quickly learn that every character has a secret. It ranges from something small to extremely complex which almost always defines them. Characters have intricate backstories which play major role in the story and serve as motivation for their actions. No one is simply "good" or "evil" - they are people shaped by their upbringing and environment trying to make the best of shitty situations they find themselves in.

“Contrariwise, if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.” (Story)

The story is absurd. Wait, don't go - let me explain! Each chapter constantly reminds me of Snow Crash. For those unfamiliar it is a famous cyberpunk novel which is bombastic and completely over the top - however that was the intention from the start. Backstories here are overdramatic, situations are over the top and the main plot is completely implausible but handled with such care and precision that you can't help but grin going through the pages wishing to see more!

"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it."

While this is a very enjoyable read it is definitely not for everyone and has a few problems, however it is a high quality near future fiction which is something that's not easy to find. Reading through available chapters you can tell that this is going to be a long haul as we are still getting introduced to new characters and author is taking his time with releases. The official English translations are slow and it will be a while before volume 5 comes out, but I shall be eagerly waiting for it to arrive.