Iris Zero

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***UPDATE 2: This review is up 'till the 29th chapter. I will update as soon as more chapters come out.

I came across Iris Zero by accident. I was in a desperate search for some new series to look out for, that involves school romances (believe me, I'm really just a sucker for those kinds of stories).

I was in for a shock with this manga. It defies all expectations of a school romance (my expectations, at least), and its flow of story actually gets me hooked. Serious tones balanced with school comedy and a hint of romance keep me interested in Iris Zero, and I am ... happy to say that this manga is part of those "hidden treasures" of manga--titles that aren't famous, but have much potential.

Iris Zero revolves around the male protagonist, Mizushima Toru, and his apparent mastery of solving certain mysteries and issues on campus with his friends. This alone differs Iris Zero from other school manga; its uniqueness, however, doesn't end there.

Part of its ingenuity as a series comes from how stories unfold within the manga. Despite being a school manga, Iris Zero gives off a feel of being a serious-toned problem-solving mystery manga--but don't let this turn you off. Like I said, it only gives a "feel;" running along this is comedic moments expected of a school manga, along with short romantic moments that just make you warm inside. The "feel" refers to how Mizushima Toru deals with the problems; it's as if he's a detective! To be honest, this manga is more or less a school-based Detective Conan comedy (without anyone dying, of course).

Another key factor in this manga's potential is its romantic aspect. Being an Iris Zero, our main protagonist is under daily stress, being discriminated and all from the rest of the people with Irises. A chance encounter with Sasamori Koyuki, however, will change his daily life for who knows how long. The slowly unfolding story of a budding romance between these two characters left me warm inside, for the author expertly delivers emotions of mutual feeling between a school idol of sorts and a social introvert cast away by his peers.

With this, Iris Zero leaves room for great expectations and improvement. And with its already existing potential, it comes as to no surprise for me when the day comes that this manga hits the spotlight.

Story: 10/10
What captivated me the most was the story: it starts off easy, and eventually goes on deeper. With how events flow within the manga, readers won't even notice that the stories already took a serious turn until they notice the change in drawing style. This, along with moments of comedy and heartwarming bits of romance between Mizushima Toru and Sasamori Koyuki (along with other character pairings, of course), make a great story worth looking into.

Art: 8/10
Art is neat and tidy, which is a plus for me. I guess you won't need much detail for a school manga. But art style teams up with story development to give a unique reading experience, in which the art style itself delivers some story and tone. Another plus for me is the absence of fanservice. For once, I don't see panties and bras within a school campus. And in the case of Iris Zero, it doesn't really need fanservice anymore; the story is enough to catch your attention.

Character: 9/10
The manga is 27 chapters in, and I must say that I'm not in any way disappointed at how the characters are described within the storyline. The group of friends Mizushima has has now expanded; all members of this group are explained in sufficient--if not great--detail. We get a diverse group of people, all with background stories to boot. The stories explain pretty well their current situation and the reasons behind their mannerisms. It surprises me, however, that the author managed to give color to the characters in a way that they don't seem any different from Mizushima. Our main protagonist is the only Iris Zero on campus (so far), but somehow, his peers don't seem too different from him. If the author was trying to show that all people have burdens, no matter who they are, he is definitely doing a good job at it.

Enjoyment: 9/10
I really enjoy reading this manga. Art is pleasing, story is excellent, and characters are quite vivid (the character part is already a tedious task, given the number of characters currently active in the storyline). Overall, Iris Zero gives a colorful reading experience with its own twists and turns. It's sad, however, that the release of each chapter is quite slow in terms of pace. It also gets inconsistent at times. The story it gives, however, is enough to cope for its faults.

Overall: 9/10
Fellow lovers of school romances will be in for an unexpectedly enjoyable read with Iris Zero. Those who are just looking for a good read won't be disappointed, either; this manga delivers great stories, and it does so with style. I will certainly keep Iris Zero in my watch list for manga.

I was curious as to how this new manga would go and so far, I have been gobsmacked in a very good way!!! Some may think this is another cliched manga where the main character has no special talent or power like everyone else has but in Iris Zero, the story offers an insight to a guy who offers viewers an insight everyone else can't see because of the limits of their irises. Although slow development of the characters emotionally, the characters melt together really well and the excitement of the plot continues to boil inside me, especially Kuga. I can't wait to read more ... of the manga very soon!!! :)

This is one of those hidden stories that no one seems to know about, a diamond of a find buried away.

Iris Zero is a high school drama set in a time when humans are slowly evolving to develop eyes that can see more than just the physical world. What sets Iris Zero apart is despite the unique premise, it still brings back themes that we experience in every age (love, jealousy, hate, discrimination, fear, hope) and the author's amazing ability to weave a story together and present it beautifully. The only criticism I can give about the presentation is the fact that it ... is given in small arcs from one to the next instead of one grand storyline. Aside from that, the stories themselves are outstanding.

Furthermore, the character development is fantastic. Each arc brings you deeper into the confines of each character, showing you their strong points, their weak points, where they shine and their deepest darkest corners. You will learn to love all of the characters, for both their good points and their flaws.

It's a shame that this manga appears to hitting so many bumps getting chapters updated. It truly is a joy to read and I would not be surprised at all if the popularity of it exploded one day if it ever makes it into an anime.

After catching up to latest chapter of this manga, I can gladly say it is on the right track.

STORY
I am really enjoying the story at this point in time. Iris Zero thus far is a supernatural story that focuses on a protagonist who is anything but supernatural. Toru is one of the 1% of the population born as an ordinary person and because of this, he faces discrimination at school everyday. It reminded me of Hana Yori Dango a bit with the amount of indirect bullying that goes on but less angsty with a touch of drama, mystery and romance. It isn't dark but ... reveals the consequences of having an Iris. What makes the concept for this story strong is how it works with Irises as plot devices and the development of the characters.

ART
The art is above average, neither stellar or terrible. The panels communicate what they need to without confusion for the most part. The character designs are okay as well.

CHARACTERS
I think this is one of the other areas where this series truly shines. The way all the characters interact together, Irises included, is fascinating to me. You really believe in the insecurities and troubles of each character and empathize with them. Toru's perception and keen ability to analyze are engaging to follow throughout the story.

OVERALL
Really loving this series so far, 5 volumes and 22 chapters in. Hope it goes the same route as it has thus far. I just it was over so that I knows what happens next.

I actually started reading this manga one fine day when i was bored to death. To be honest back then i didn't expect much and just wanted to kill some time, oh how stunned i was when i found out how much i liked it

Story: Since the beginning of manga we have seen invincible main protagonists being able to solve everything almost on his own. In Iris Zero however, the main protagonist, Mizushima Toru, is actually powerless, gets bullied and wants as little attention as possible. Although his intelligence is above average and he can read others quite easily, he normally requires the help of ... his friends when dealing with problematic situations. This is a plus point as it makes it easy for us to relate to him as he isn't all that different from us.

Art: Hmm no real complaints here the art isn't THAT good but its definitely decent and clear. Backgrounds and other stuff are quite well drawn actually and art is definitely showing signs of improvement.

Character: Unique characters with their own traits working with each other and making up for each others failings. The character development is well paced. Unlike a lot of other manga and anime, love isn't forced or too dramatic. Character designs are quite good so no problems there. Also its good that there's no harem or anything like that.

Enjoyment: Interesting and definitely brings enjoyment. The story isn't that complex but at the same time it makes you go at its pace. By some point you'll find yourself hooked.

Overall: Definitely one of the better manga out there. If you haven't read it yet you should start it's definitely worth the time spent.

One day I was searching for a unique school romance manga with limited pervy-ness and comedy. It was almost impossible to find -_- But, I came across Iris Zero and figured, 'what the heck, why not?' and started reading.

I was blown away.

First off, the main male character isn't a) a perfect, popular guy that always gets the girl or b) the cool-guy delinquent (But I love them a lot, too). He's a outcast that has the exceptional ability to solve problems and puzzles by 'imagining things from a different perspective.' It's hard not to love him, he's so loveable. Some of the sadder moments made ... me seriously cry.

Next, the main female lead isn't a) a shy girl who is in love with the main guy or b) an annoying popular girl who the main guy likes. She is a smart girl who eventually develops feelings for the main guy (SO HURRY UP AND RETURN THEM, TORU!). She's just as likeable as Toru is.

Hijiri is his own level of amazing, the loveable little dude. His story made me so sad!

The story can be slightly loose at times, but the art and the characters and the uniqueness of it all makes up for it. The story isn't bad or anything, on the contrary, I think it somehow manages to perfectly balance serious, comedic and romantic, and the ingenuity and creativity of Toru when it comes to solving problems is pretty epic too. Another good thing it's simple yet interesting enough for people that are fairly new to manga (ME) so they can read it, too. On my favorites list, this would be #1 for me, right next to Dengeki Daisy. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who'd like a good read.

I came to Iris Zero looking for something in the same vein as Hyouka, and as such I did find here all that I was looking for. I enjoyed reading the manga, and could not stop until I couldn't find more chapters, yet it didn't leave that great of an impression on me, as an afterthought.


I wanted to keep my main point for last, but couldn't find a way to write about everything without refering to it. So let's start with the eponym set up : the irises. Most kids have the ability to see things normal humans wouldn't (and each individual have a specific ... thing they can see with their iris), and our main character, Mizushima, doesn't have such a special iris, hence he's an iris zero.

The idea is pretty good since it leaves a lot of room for creativity. But I feel like the author didn't make the best out of it. Firstable because throughout these 33 chapters that I was able to read, we didn't meet that many irises, which, to be fair, might not be that bad since it would rapidly become a mess in terms of story telling. Out of the maybe 7 I can think of, quite a bunch of them overlap in terms of the information it helps the main character gather, and would be easily replaced by any kind of sense of observation or deduction, especially as it is mainly a mystery manga. So I didn't find the "iris trick" that useful in terms of narrative, and I'd say it brings a bit of lazyness in terms of storytelling.


The characters' design is pretty nice overall. I especially like the girls' hair-styles, that somewhat reflect their personality. On that point I was a bit disapointed by the main character, Mizushima, as on the first page I thought "alright this time it's perfect !" I dislike when the design it too over the top, since I like my characters to be as credible as possible, but on the other hand it's a pain when in order to make the main character look ordinary, you confuse him with other characters (and it happens to me quite often). Mizushima looked great with his messy hair, but it doesn't catch the eye that much later on, and I ended up confusing him with side characters from time to time.

Anyhow, the characters are interesting, but lack depth. They often are a bit one dimensional, because they bear the weight of their iris, and we often don't learn much about them except their iris and the effect it had on them.

The main character is basically trying to hide because of his difference (his "minimal exposure motto"). In a chapter, the author takes the time to explain why he's so good at solving puzzles, saying that he developped an ability to conjecture, since he always was around people with an iris and tried to imagine what it was like. That's basically all we know about him in terms of personality.

His love interest, Sasamori, is paper thin in terms of character development. Amazingly I don't even recall the manga even studying the effect her iris had on her. She's the quite clichéd earnest and always full of energy, selfless young girl. We know about her popularity, her long lasting friendship with Yuki Asashi, the fact that she's somehow madly in love with the main character (I don't know if it's intended, but I keep trying to guess why she did confess to him in the first chapter), and that she loves meddling with other people's business (which isn't that clear to me, but you need that excuse for mysteries to be solved ; she doesn't have that amazing genuine curiosity Chitanda Eru from Hyouka seems to have about everything, yet they serve the same purpose as a character).

Yuki Asashi is one character that I'm quite sad about since I saw a lot of potential in her. She had an old conflict with the main character from younger days, and had quite an inner conflict herself because of her iris. Everything seems solved in one arc. To me, she's quite defined by her sole iris, in terms of personality, and becomes only a tool for mystery solving with her iris. Characters that join the group later on have a better background (a background at all), and better study even on the consequences of their iris. But she's the perfect example as to why the iris tends to lead to lazyness.

The manga does the usual mistake to forget about the characters' relatives. The parents all work late, or are absent somehow. It struck me as in one the last chapters I read (chapter 32 to be precise), Mizushima is woken up by his little sisters, and was amazed the author didn't use them before ! It would have been quite interesting, as oftentimes, when a character lacks social skills, their relationship with their siblings is even more important. Here what would have made it especially interesting is that it does seem that his sisters have an iris (one of Mizushima's friends comments saying they treat him "like an exotic animal"), so how does the family cope with the "iris zero" issue ? That would be interesting, and could take a frame here and there.


The romance in itself is forgettable. Sasamori confesses from the first chapter, and as the main character, I couldn't believe it was sincere. At first I thought it was a trick that was used to get him to help her, doesn't seem likely since she carries on with it. I thought she saw something with her iris, but it's contradicted by later events. Anyhow, Mizushima was quite suspicious but shows to be quite considerate towards her, and even protective later on, while he actually never responds to her confession (at least up to the 33rd chapter, but it's building up). That being established, their relationship is a bit of the common theme throughout every arc, but rather a tool to come to a resolution rather than the focus of the story.

Last arc I could read, a rival appeared, which pisses me off because I hold it as a pretty cheap trick in terms of romance stories : it's an easy way to get drama, but when they aren't a couple yet, it doesn't bring that many interesting questions, since their relationship has no solid grounds (for a counter-example, see Horimiya, the rival appearing while they already are a couple is much more interesting, asking the characters to reassure their love, deals with jealousy, its boundaries, can show other sides of the characters). But I can't hold that much of a grudge against the manga since it's pretty much used every time in romance stories.


All that being said, Iris Zero is mainly a mystery manga. The structure of the arcs revolve around each mystery the characters solve. The pacing is pretty good, and are interesting to read, although not that complicated (I could see the resolution coming from a mile away pretty much every time). This is where the "iris theme" is not the strongest. Although most mysteries revolve around the iris of a given character, the data the iris provide not that relevant, and the characters don't use the iris that much in order to come to the resolution, which makes sense since the main investigator is the iris zero.


Overall it's a pretty good read if mystery and romance are your thing, but is not the best manga you can find. I prefer Hyouka all the way, the characters are deeper, more credible, the mysteries are far more interesting, and the main love story far more touching.

!WARNING!
Before reading know that the series is currently on an indefinite hiatus due to the authors health issues, which has been going on for 4 years. I didn't know that when I started reading, and although I enjoyed the series it definitely doesn't provide a satisfying last chapter
Alright, now on with the review.
Characters: I'd say in this story there are 6 characters that are relatively main, besides our main two Toru and Koyuki. I think overall the characters are nothing to write home about but they are in general above average. Some of the dynamics are quite refreshing, and I enjoyed the chapters where they ... built up relationships and connections in the group that weren't centered around our 2 main characters that added depth to the group. I very much enjoyed that not every girl ever was falling for the protagonist, and they mostly focused on our main girl and him.
Romance: As one of the prominent themes throughout the story, it was fine. Koyuki may be a little too tropy for my liking, and there is some unnecessary melodrama between them as you can expect from most romance, but their dynamic is quite nice and I overall found myself rooting for the romance to happen. That does bring me to the second love interest, that I disliked, though not immensely. I do wish that she had a crush on one of the other main characters, like Toru's best friend who I wish was more relevant.
Plot/ Mystery elements: The plot is pretty intriguing. The overall premise is about a world where most have something called an iris, a magic ability unique to each person. Unfortunately for our main character, he doesn't have an iris and gets bullied and shunned for that. Due to that he strives to draw as little attention to himself, although it becomes hard for him to keep up that policy after the school famous Koyuki asks him to go out with her, and he slowly meets good friends, and solves iris related mysteries with them, because despite being an "Iris zero" he has an almost magical ability to figure out other people's abilities (I'll touch on why it's almost magic in a second)
First off, although this sort of premise has been done before, I found it interesting, and looking for something new to read I started it, not realizing how prominent the mystery was going to be. It's not that I minded it but it reminded me of that one anime Hyouka quite a bit. I do think if you like that anime you'd enjoy this series. I think they overall execute the premise pretty well.
Next, the irises. They are veryyyy overpowered in a lot of cases and can be used to solve most of the mysteries quite quickly if they just asked the right questions, though I'm willing to let that slide because otherwise there wouldn't be much of a plot. The iris ideas are pretty creative, and I enjoyed wondering what type of iris the new character would have.
Now let's touch on the main characters ability to solve literally everything, and draws insane conclusions from very little. Now this is very normal with detective anime, and it's far from the most outrageous I've seen, but it still takes away a bit. Though you can usually see where he comes from, and the little details do add up and it can still be very satisfying. Though there is no way he could have solved most of those cases without literal magic to guess some of things he did.
Overall enjoyment: This is highly based on opinion and personal bias, but I enjoyed it enough to give it an 7/10, and would reccomend to friends (if the series was finished) It may have bumped up if it had a proper ending :')
That's all for my review! Happy reading!

after reading this manga untill chapter 33 i think i should make a review of this great manga ( well according to me).

well at first the story is little slow but if you read further you will enjoy and continue to finish it.
the story is about people who have "iris",a special power to see something that varies from person to person but our main protagonist doesn't have that special powers, but he covered his weakness with sharp thingking and high deduction.
this manga have some strong point like the plot story, the problem of every character, problem solving but the most interesting thing is ... how he manages to make the most ordinary person of the story the most special in his own way. That is work of some kind of genius. the character development also astonishing and display much emotions.
the art is pretty decent but is not important right? its just a bonus. if you have a free time its good to read this manga, cheers 8-).

I was honestly very shocked by how much this manga captivated my attention. I almost could not let go of it and now that I am caught up, all I can do is wait for the next one.

Story:

The story is a mystery genre in my opinion because the reader becomes puzzled with the situation and it adds curiosity into the mix of everything. The supernatural aspect allows for the unknown to also be added into the mix of the mystery. A mystery becomes harder to solve right off the bat if there is supernatural aspects that are not seen in the real world.

Art:

There ... are small foreshadowing that the story does great. There are little details that not even the reader can notice until later. Overall, the art is among your basic styles.

Characters:

There is the commonality of protagonists not having abilities and becomes a nobody. The difference in this story though is that there is a source of understanding between the reader and the protagonist because they do not have their own powers just like the reader.

Enjoyment:

I had the best time reading this and am excited for more in the future. It is sadly not coming out as fast as I would hope, but we will see.

Overall:

Would highly recommend for those that enjoy a good mystery and love problem solving. The story can get quite emotional, but that is what makes it lovely! Enjoy!

I really liked the setting, This IRIS things can really make an school manga interesting. But I don't think the way it turned out was the best. Some IRIS are very powerful but not exploited, and sometimes they aren't even used. However, it is overall good and it makes very interesting situations. Good story overall.
The art is quite good. Not my favourite style but who cares about me.
I liked the characters and though they may be a little too cheesy ind the friendship/love relationships. Characters develope emotions very quickly so it cannot be considered credible sometimes. With this exception which is pretty normal for a ... manga in which you need to draw the attention of the reader, the characters are well balanced.
Even though I dislike some things it is overall an enjoyable and good manga.