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Holyland
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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Holy Land

Japanese: ホーリーランド

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 18

Chapters: 182

Status: Finished

Published: Oct 13, 2000 to May 23, 2008

Genre: Action

Themes: Delinquents, Martial Arts, Psychological

Demographic: Seinen

Serialization: Young Animal

Authors: Mori, Kouji (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 8.44¹ (scored by 32,859 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #187²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #172

Members: 89,451

Favorites: 3,971

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Reviews

Filtered Results: 40 / 43

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Filter Preliminary Spoiler

Apr 9, 2009

gryphonz

Recommended

Joined this site just to write this review.

Like many of you, I'd been searching for a good MA(martial arts) manga for years now. Only found one, Hajime no Ippo. Along the way, it's been a long road strewn with chi blasts, wire-fu and moves that would get you killed in a real fight(Kenichi I'm looking at you). That's not even going into the retarded story lines of so many MA series.

Finally found this little gem and it's just great. Blood, violence, realism and all the consequences that come with it. The characterizations are just so realistic, despite the massive ...

Mar 20, 2009

eneri

Recommended

Preliminary (43/182 chp)

My first review for a manga, it was just so great that I had to whip out a review for it. I stumbled onto this manga completely by accident and I never regretted it. The entire storyline was so addictive and captivating that I stayed up from 1 am to 3 am to finish the 43 chapters that were hosted on a site. Though I have not completed the manga, it has already left a very deep impression on me.

"Between the world of boys and men,
there lies holy land.
Where laws don't matter and the strongest rule
In that world, "he" roamed
...

Feb 10, 2015

ABHISHEKV

Recommended

Ever wondered what it's like to have no place to belong? Having no place where one is recognized as a human being? Having no one who actually cares for you? That is what Holyland explores first and foremost. It is the story of Kamishiro Yuu who has no place in society and is forced to come out to the night streets. This is where he makes a place for himself. A place where he belongs. A world of violence and lenient law.

Kamishiro Yuu was bullied at school and taken to the brink. This resulted in him shutting himself from the outside world and simply ...

Jul 21, 2012

jar_of_stars

Recommended

~Like a whole lot of people who read Holyland, I too was looking for a different kind of MA (martial arts) manga to discover and read. Quite frankly when I first came across Holyland, I thought it was ordinary and probably like any MA manga to read. (e.g. The main character is weak and wants to get stronger OR the main character learns to fight in order to protect those he cares about. Then the main character gets stronger, meets rivals, and blah blah blah...) Still I was curious to see where it would go, which turned out to be something pulling ME to the ... very end. It really is a great story.

Holyland offers something like all MA mangas do, the main character Yuu Kamishiro is bullied at school and doesn't have the strength to protect himself, until he gets the idea that as long as he can do a simple punch and get away, he'll be ok. However as he beats one thug after another things start to get out of hand. This leds to many rumors and more people go after him. Eventually he wanders the streets trying to find a way out of it, yet he quickly learns that maybe the streets is the only place he can be accepted. Fight after fight he searches for his answer.

That's just the start of the manga! With this particular one, I'm happy to know that it doesn't necessarily focus on a specific martial arts style, but elaborates on the broad term of street fighting. Anything goes when you're in the streets, including the type of fighting style you use and your weapons. It's dirty and you only win by the amount of damage you do to your enemy, not when the bell rings for the match to be over nor when the enemy admits defeat. (well, sometimes...)

And to me, the author does a terrific job of implementing various fighting styles and explaining their strengths and weaknesses in depth. It almost feels like he's teaching you. The explanations are very realistic and inspiring to any person who's interested in martial arts or in self-defense. The characters Yuu meets in the streets are very well made to fit their assigned role. His friends, his enemies, and even the ones who were his enemies before but became his friends afterward. Each person he fought taught Yuu something about himself. Talk about great character development. This drive is what brought the story forward and unfold a great lesson to all who want to fit in somewhere. Just like Yuu. (haha...Yuu or you!)

Story is a 10, being very outstanding and captivating. It's original and is great to anyone who likes MA mangas. A story like no other. Art is a 9, but when you first look at it, you'll think otherwise. The manga is indeed old, therefore I'd like to say the art style is its very own and the fighting scenes are very well made. There's blood and gore made very well to depict the fighting scenes. Characters I give a 10, reason being that they all have their flaws which make them seem more human and ones we can relate to. Like Yuu, who started out as an antisocial teenager who had nothing to do with no one, but he wasn't a cold character. Just lonely and wanted to be normal. I think some of us can relate to that loneliness. Enjoyment and overall view is a 10, because I utterly enjoyed getting into this manga. Like I said, I judged it too much at the beginning but as you go along you'll find it great too AND it's lesson in the end.

~Thanks for reading my reedited review!

***Fun fact to anyone who finished this manga, there's a drama made for it both in Japanese and Korean. Not sure how good it is, but if you're interested look them up. See if they did it right. :P

Feb 16, 2016

711nono

Recommended

Holyland is the first real long manga that I have ever completed. I normally prefer anime to manga but I definitely enjoy reading manga even though I read very slowly. Well in simple terms Holyland completely blew me away from start to finish. The story is very relatable and the characters are memorable. The entire thing is just so fantastically put together that I can't help but love it.

Holyland is a 182 chapter martial arts psychological manga that is written by the mangaka Mori Kouji. This manga was published for 8 years. The running time was 2000-2008. The actual manga was serialized ... in Young Animal.

At first glance the story of Holyland isn't really that special. So we have the kid with really low self esteem and he gets bullied a lot. He proceeds to learn martial arts so he can get stronger and to protect himself. Don't be fooled though, the execution of this story is the closest thing I've seen when it comes to perfection. One thing that sets the story apart is how the manga ka implements his own experiences into the heart of the manga.

Street fighting and martial arts are such a massive part of this story. The mangaka really helps with providing explanations and diagrams to try to make sense of the action that is actually happening in the story. The action is also quality with a great amount of realism and martial arts with street fight grit being implemented.

The story is also very relatable, Yuu's dilemmas are something we can probably all relate to in one way or another. And many of the situations in this story are real life issues such as bullying and drugs. The raw emotions that are projected are extremely well done. Another notable point is how this anime portrayed the streets. This is done in a raw and realistic fashion that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The characters in this are fantastic. All of them have their own flaws and strengths and they play off each other perfectly. The main hero is Kamishiro Yuu who isn't really a hero after all. He got bullied and kind of shut himself away from the world. He finds his home on the streets and meets many new people. Yuu's whole mind set of fitting in and finding a place to belong is something many people can resonate with including myself. He has a very steady rate of change throughout the story.

Shin is yuu's first friend and ends up becoming his best friend in high school. He isn't really a strong fighter but he is always there to remind yuu that he isn't alone through all of the hell he faces. Shougo is also a friend of kamishiro but he has a major psychological complex that damages his relationship with Yuu in the story.

Possibly the most interesting character is Masaki. He is the overseer of the streets and faced hell like yuu did. He managed to rise from the ashes to become a new person. There are also many interesting side characters in this story

All of the psychological attributes of this story are smartly implemented and something the reader can thoroughly understand. Many of the themes present are also great and something everyone can relate to. There was also a old dash of romance but I wish it could have been developed more.

The art in holyland is pretty well done. The grit really bulges through and is very noticeable and I appreciated the gritty realistic style.

So overall this manga was amazing. I lived nearly everything about it and this manga is something that everyone should experience especially if you love manga in the seinen demographic. So overall this manga is great and you should read it.

May 6, 2009

uajjgirl

Recommended

Preliminary (45/182 chp)

now this manga i've come across a few times and didn't read it. the cover really didn't draw me in and the Synopsis left much to be desired. I finally thought "why not? i'll give it a try and if i don't like it i can stop reading." there's not many manga like this: with the action you want and the realistic characters and actions. i have to say this is much better than kenichi any day. i have to warn you this is more gruesome than most fighting manga.

For those of you who are thinking of a passing over this because your not sure ...

Jul 27, 2012

thechowsterderek

Recommended

Story: 5/5

Art: 4.5/5

Character: 5/5

Holyland has multiple techniques that made it stand out among other Martial Arts mangas. It utilizes these skills to make a unbelievable tale.

Story:
As the Journey begins with a simple student life, it gets complex as each page unfolds itself. Kamishiro Yuu, the protagonist goes through many hardships and battles to find his "Holyland". Each move a character use is carefully analysis keeping the reader informed on the unknown moves of martial arts. Each battle creates a intensity in the atmosphere forcing the reader to continue reading the manga. As Kimishiro tries to defend his ...

Nov 16, 2011

daisies

Recommended

Preliminary (91/182 chp)

This manga made my heart beat really hard of excitement. Its realism, though sometimes appalling, makes this an outstanding piece of art. Not only does it convey the feel of a real streetfight but it also deals with the psychological aspects of what we'd call a thug. Before I knew, I found myself relating to the main-character, who gets pulled into this violent world and starts losing himself. The despair and horror as he realises that he can't stop fighting anymore and his continuous urge to polish his skills are conveyed completely as is the process of him struggling to find a place where he ...

Feb 28, 2014

Po_and_Dong

Recommended

Holyland is a martial arts manga about a first year high school student Kamishirou Yuu. When Kamishirou is introduced to the reader, he looks like an extremely beta and timid main character who is about to be beat up and robbed by some thug on the street. Interestingly enough, Kamishirou quickly beats the shit out of him using a one-two punch, all the while looking extremely scared and about to cry, while a suave man voices conveniently timed information about the one-two punch. Kamishirou is introduced to the man, whose name is Masaki Iwaya (known as the charisma of the streets), who makes an impression ... on him. After that we start to be introudeced to the character of Kamishirou. He is a boy with a history of being bullied and recently pitied with his parents. Depressed and alone, Kamishirou stops going to school and almost kills himself. Returning to his drull lifestyle, Kamishirou happens to check out a book on boxing. Kamishirou practices a boxing jab to an incredulous degree, doing it in shadow boxing 5000 times a day for who knows how long, leading him to have the ridiculous, yet severely unconfident power he shows in the introduction. After that, Kamishirou gets involved in street fighting through a series of circumstances, and meets a bunch of characters along the way. Most people have seen this kind of scenario before in manga, but don't let that detract you from the story thinking its cliche, as the news will show this happens all the time in real life. Small details are ever present in this story, paying close attention to the atmosphere and attempting to understand the characters on a deeper level rewards readers with a fantastic and realistic story about youth, violence, and finding a place for yourself.

The first thing I will review in depth is the most important part about this manga, which is the story aspect. The plot is full of small mini-arcs revolving around a particular foe to face in the first half of the manga, all the while the overarching themes come into play mainly through the main character Kamishirou, but also through several important side characters. Characters are where this manga really shine. Character writing does not get better than this, all characters are realistic portrayals of different personalities which shine in multiple different ways. All the characters have their own problems, all have their own views on the world, all have their own motivations. They have a dyanamic philosphy on the events around them, but they are never preachy. Their is a healthy dose of angst in this manga, almost exclusively from Kamishirou. Angst has become a buzzword for stereotypical teenage character development, but don't dismiss it. It's a realistic portrayal of a teenager constantly being surrounded by pity, shame, and bloody violence. Howver, the manga is certainly not just about him. The deurtagonists really stand out and are argueably more in-depth than Kamishirou himself, particularly Masaki Iwaya and Shougo. But not all characters need to have a complicated past and personal issues to be great, Iwado and Tsuchiya particularlly are funny and give quirks to this manga to keep the energy. The charisma of the whole thing is perfect, it never feels out of place and the pacing runs true throughout. The ending left me surprised yet satisfied, thinking about the characters afterwards even more so. The bottom line is this story is a great introspect on violence, youth in society, and confronting realistic personal demons.

The martial arts in this manga is very COOL. I use the word cool on purpose, as its an accurate way to describe it all. These fights are not ridiculously over-the-top like the ones in Sun Ken Rock, and they aren't creative fantasy battles like the ones in Shin Angyo Onshi, this is a very down to earth martial arts manga. In fact, its so down to earth, that this manga constantly explains the mechanics of real martial arts and street fighting. Needless to say, the fights themselves are realistic because of that. Kamishirou is mainly a boxer, but throughout the manga you see details on not only boxing and street fighting as a whole, but also karate, judo, kenpo, kendo, and werestling, as well as their competitive aspects. The author frequently breaks the 4th wall in context by explaining these martial arts and their techniques in a personal way, sometimes with his own little anecdotes. While I am not an aspiring street fighter, if you happen to be, you might want to take some notes as its pretty interesting. Art is nice considering this manga's age of 10 years or so, there are really no particular issues with it that ruin the experience. It has a unique style and is able to convey the energy and expression of any situation, which is all thats needed to enjoy the story and the fights.Coming off of this, it is definitely one of my favorites. I'm sure this isn't too convincing as I tend to say that about all the things I review here, but don't let that discourage you. This is an amazingly well written martial arts drama, with a great atmosphere and significant tweest to make you want to read more. It under no circumstance, drags on or goes to slow. It's hard to label Holyland as anything besides underrated, it's truly fantastic and I'm sure you would think so too.

Jun 4, 2012

Draco-Oblivion

Recommended

I just finished this manga and I had to write this review to say how much I loved it. It's without a doubt the best manga I’ve read so far with constant entertainment and is, I’m pretty sure, the only manga I’ve read where there have been no points where I’ve felt the urge to walk away and I had trouble doing so when I’ve tried.
I’d say the overall story of the weak victim finding the strength and drive to change is a theme that will have been used a lot in all forms of fiction but the way ... it was done was brilliant so the following of Yuu’s story as he battles himself as well as his adversaries is something I will never regret as it was time well spent! The fact that during the story we are periodically given basic information, in the form of the author’s narration, on fighting in general and in specific forms of martial arts that have actual practical use is a bonus added to this already great read.
In terms of art I gave this a nine as though I found the art amazing and a great way to depict the changes in the characters throughout the story and during fights; I found it took a while to appreciate as I was unsure about it as I started. This will probably be due to the realism of the drawings that, though some people may find a positive, some people may think that it detracts slightly from the aesthetics of the work.
The characters have definitely been a major factor in my enjoyment of this manga. The characters are portrayed, not always positively, with weaknesses and problems and issues that add to the realism of the story showing they’re not just the perfect images some may view them as but have problems just like anyone else that they have to work passed. Watching these characters struggle with the their problems individually and together has only made them more endearing allowing the readers to empathise with them and feel more connected with them, especially if they’ve experienced some of the problems themselves which is highly likely.
The overall enjoyment of the story has been a definite ten out of ten. The moments when Yuu manages to overcome challenges and pass his limits really feel like you’ve achieved something too when you’re there right alongside him. In general, the fights of this series are brutally realistic showing you what can really happen on these streets but at the same time knowing that Yuu will always get back up despite everything because, that’s just the kind of guy he is, is just a great feeling. To be honest the series seems to have just gone by so quickly but I’ve been left feeling utterly satisfied with what I’ve read, from the epic fight scenes, to the heart-warming friendships and even some romance. This may be because I’ve just finished the manga and still feeling the aftereffects of its brilliance but to me, at this moment in time, this story is outstanding and definitely deserves its ten out of ten!

Feb 1, 2013

christian_dsa

Recommended

I'm writing a review for this manga because I feel the need to encourage manga readers to try this manga. It's a great, great manga that deserves the top list of every manga reader.

Story:
Great plot, very focused and does not venture too much on uninteresting side stories. The plot may be a bit unrealistic but you'll surely want to go out and prove your self like the main character, Kamishiro Yuu. The story develops on an engaging phase and you won't have to wait 50 or more chapters for a single arc to finish. There's also a bit of romance so you won't get ...

Jun 16, 2021

manga_toad

Recommended

"Holyland," or as I affectionately call it, "The Soul's Search for Sidewalk Salvation," really takes the concept of finding oneself and decides the best way to go about it is through a generous application of street fighting. It's as if the creator thought, "Why bother with the traditional coming-of-age story when we can just have our protagonist punch his way to enlightenment?"

At the heart of this visceral journey is Yuu, a protagonist who, in his quest for a place where he truly belongs, decides to exchange existential musings for the more tangible language of fists and feet. Because, naturally, when words fail to convey the ...

Oct 17, 2021

TheRedo

Recommended

‘’You just hit a wall in the real world, got frustrated and escaped here’’

Holyland is the exact mix of good concepts, good ideas, good execution with bad execution, incoherences and cliché concepts. [Please read the whole review to understand my point].
And remember that the score below it’s just a useless number.

The Holyland bases are the same of every average shounen nekketsu, a kid who wants to become stronger in order to protect something while he opens up a path among an unknown and dangerous world. Concepts that have been repeated a hundred times, with subversions of the demography or soulless structures. So does Holyland have ...

Dec 24, 2012

critic111

Recommended

At some point in our lives we all experience the vertigo of change. Some easily slide through, only to hit a wall and midlife crisis. Some rebel immediately, and slowly realize stark realities of economics. In Holyland, for Kamishiro Yuu it is the darkness he awakens inside, and the Holyland he uses to control it.

Mr. Mori, creates an extremely entertaining psychological 'realistic' martial arts thriller, with character growth that fills you with hope. He expertly paces the narrative, with conjured dark violence punctuated by light hearted banter that gives you time to breathe, before taking another plunge into Yuu's malevolence.

But as with many mangas ...

Dec 23, 2015

7ordinarydays

Recommended

I'm not great at writing long extended paragraphs so I'll keep it in simple bullet points!

Pros:
- Great Story: bullied high school kid learning to fight is nothing new but I found the manga's focus psychological impact of fighting quite interesting. For its themes, the manga does a great job balancing the light-hearted moments to the darker ones.
- Relatable characters: aside from one or two "big bads" the manga does a great job of showing the goods and the bads of all characters, with their inner struggles that seems realistic and relatable.
- Realistic Martial Arts: my knowledge of martial arts and fighting forms are basic ...

Dec 12, 2016

Dancer14

Recommended

Sometimes a story just hits you hard. By some miracle, it came at that perfect, serendipitous time in your life when the narrative itself can resonate with your innermost thoughts. This manga did that for me. Not because I have anything particularly in common with any of the characters themselves, but because their stories touched me on a deep emotional level. I cried - for longer and harder than I care to admit - when I finished it. I think it filled a hole in me that I even didn't realize was there.

I feel like its a bit pointless to repeat what so many other ...

Mar 23, 2014

keishii

Recommended

The first thing that drew me into this manga was... this story could actually be happening somewhere on the street.
No super power, no over the top and impossible fighting techniques, and nothing particularly unnatural in the story.
Just pure strength and martial arts, street fight, friendship, and a little touch of romance.
The mangaka succesfully portrayed the feelings of a constantly bullied high schooler, Kamishiro. Kamishiro didn't have any friend, he was timid, and lacked in confidence, he was a misfit and struggle to find a place where he belonged. He needed to confirm his very own existence, that was why he started roaming on the street ...

Mar 25, 2019

PentagramShogoki

Recommended

This review will be written in english / spanish.

English review:

Might contain light spoilers, I'll try to make it SFW.

The teenage years may be the hardest in the life of a person. The treatment you receive, the friends you have, the popularity in the high-school, mark you and define how you will be in the near future. As someone who had a hard time, I have to say that being a teenager is fucking hard, and trying your best to fit in a place, with some people you like or want to be part of, isn't easy. Bullying, humilliation and systematic denigration can leave a deep ...

Jan 6, 2013

Chaosdreams

Recommended

This is without a doubt, a phenomenal manga. It's true to the core, your emotions will go along with the theme that plays out and for many, you will understand what it is that the main character is feeling and experiencing. From laughs to downright anger the mood carries on without fault. I highly recommend this manga to anyone that's experienced bullying, and to all those who love a great story. It takes a lot for a manga to make me laugh or cry, and I experienced both since in many ways I understood the protagonist, the story, the desire to keep a "holyland.".

Have you ...

May 10, 2017

TomatoFork

Recommended

Holyland is different from general sports manga in the way that it takes martial arts to the streets. This includes all kinds of fighting styles from karate to kick-boxing and from wrestling to kendo. The colorful range of styles gives an opportunity for all the characters to represent their own one and therefore be relevant to the story.

-Story and characters
As the story follows Yuu's journey to become a better fighter and that way find a place for himself among the streets he makes multiple acquaintances - usually through beating them first. These associates sometimes become important allies to him or even teachers in order ...