ēlDLIVE
élDLIVE

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I'll keep my review simple since I agree with the review written before me.

TL;DR at the bottom

Storyline

Typical but interesting. You can take a preexisting genre and make it work. What matters is the execution. This just as in plot standpoint is the your typical shonen manga you've seen rising in popularity over the recent years:

Weak protagonist is weak, meets some supernatural force, some outer force threatens loved ones/world, protagonist gets stronger by the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP, and eventually defeats threat.

The overarching plot seems to dwell with memories, emotional/psychological trauma, growing up, friendship (duh), and relationships with loved ones coupled with a sci-fi space cops theme. ... This in execution works very well since the manga has some nice subtle moments where the plot is large enough for characters to develop with the overarching mystery (that I will not name for obvious reasons).

However what doesn't work is the subplots and the pacing of some arcs. Some of the subplots are good enough since it dwells in the realms of character development rather than forcing in a new alien or plot device. However some fall flat mostly because of the pacing. I won't go into specifics but one of the biggest arcs revolving around the main protagonist's character development is so rushed, the conflict goes away in an instant. It honestly left me a bit disapointed since I really would've like to see this part fleshed out.

It's not always like this but on some parts it is.


Art

Subjective but in my opinion, it's fucking amazing!!! Everything is fully-coloured, styles are on point, and people need to give Akira Amano some credit for her creativity in designs and the powers her characters have


Characters

Akira Amano makes the best 'zero-to-hero' male protagonists. Chuuta Kokonose has a beautiful character development and honestly I can say one of her most complex character in the series. He seems like your everyday shonen character but he seems more human because he has a personality and values other than 'saving the world for my friends and family.' He does encompass those tropes but again, the execution is very well done
Her villains are either hilariously hot, evil, or hot and evil. We don't see much as of now but the main villains (Heaven Sider and some I won't name because SPOILERS) she did set up for now all have their darker moments coupled by their more complex moments.
Her female characters are her weaker points and yeah... although I don't have a big issue with most of them, Misuzu Sonokata just rubs me the wrong way. I was never a fan of the bitchy/tsundere/kuudere type of characters because they never have a reason to outright bully the main protag. Sure they give her a reason here, but she doesn't grow out of it solely for the fact that WE MUST PUT ___ CHARACTER IN ___ ARCHETYPE. So yeah more for horrible character development for her


FAN SERVICE

I honestly think the main problem with this series is an identity crisis. Akira Amano's previous work, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, was catering more towards females than males which worked for the most part with her beautiful art style and gorgeous designs.

This however, feels like it's trying to pull both demographics but fanservice for both genders (and that technicolour rainbow in between) are...mediocre. Sure the character designs are pretty but the fanservice you give us aren't the best. And don't take this as me thirsty for more hot guys (which I am) but she PURPOSEFULLY presents us with these types of situations! I'm not asking for some R18 or partially nudity, no, I just want the series to figure out which demographic its aiming for. She tries to balance out the fanservice for both genders but at the same time, tries to tame them so it just turns out mediocre.



TL;DR

Story - Typical shonen plot but well executed with a few pacing problems and an overarching mystery set in sci-fi setting

Characters - A great 'zero-to-hero' main protagonist, interesting side characters and villains, but suffers from some archetype characters that refuse to develop

Art - (Subjective) A FUCKING PLUS DESIGNS AND ART HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS ART WITH A PASSION

Fan Service - Great designs. Suffers from an identity crisis though

Other- The manga does get better once the main arc is introduced

“There may have been other paths, but [that] was the only future I was sure of.”

- Laine, Chapter 59

ēlDLIVE is a series that had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it mostly came across as a case of having a lot of different ideas and throwing them at the wall to see what sticks. It often can’t decide whether it wants to be taken seriously or not, with some of the characters and gags falling flat or making the tone difficult to follow. Most of the plot struggles to stand out amongst other science fiction stories which follow similar beats.

A number of characters stand ... out, with interesting elements to their backstories being unravelled over the course of the series. This works to create mystery, with some of the payoffs being worth the wait. The major secondary characters carry the main protagonist throughout most of the story. Chuuta often feels like a copy-and-paste character from other action-adventure stories. While I understand the general need for a character unfamiliar with the world they are thrown into, it can be a little bit annoying.

One of the biggest disappointments is that the series makes some interesting plot choices, but doesn’t commit to them in any meaningful way. This lack of lasting impact is emphasised by the lack of characterisation of the side characters; especially when they are supposed to act as an emotional crux to plot developments. It makes it difficult to care about the plot, even when interesting concepts are being explored.

Overall, ēlDLIVE is an inconsistent series to read. There are a couple of interesting ideas, but they are buried underneath an unnecessary layer of fan service that can be a bit overbearing. However, if you enjoy the early chapters then it is worth finishing.

First of all, I would like to get this out of the way and say that this is mostly a negative review. Also, keep in mind that I will be comparing this to Amano's previous work "Reborn!".


Plot: Kokonose Chuuta is a middle school boy that hears voices in his head and occasionally even talks to that voice in public, hence the nickname "Mumbling Chuuta". Soon, he realizes that an alien, more specifically, a montelien (excuse the spelling) is connected to him by unknown reasons, and was soon chosen to join a galactic space police organization, called elDLIVE.

The Story had a pretty strange start, ... but it kept me anticipating for anything that would make it a worthwhile read for me.

I'll be honest, my fondness of Reborn! is what made me have high hopes for this manga, and boy, was I wrong. The plot was flimsy at best, and it was a very stereotypical shounen-esque manga. But, what it fails to deliver is an actual introduction to the main characters, and when they were introduced, it didn't leave a memorable impact on me as a reader.

In Amano's previous work, "Reborn!" The female characters were pretty useless (no offense) they stayed in the kitchen, they can't fight, and are usually the "damsel of distress". It's pretty obvious that in elDLIVE, Amano is trying to counter this cliche with having literally 2/3 of the main cast being female. I have nothing against with her trying to promote more feminism in her work. However, despite the 'badassery' of the girls in eldLIVE, their good qualities fade out to make room for fanservice -_-. I honestly couldn't get through two chapters without seeing at least Veronica or Misuzu's panties getting flashed. I've yet to see any depth in the characters, besides them existing solely for the fanservice, and it irks me.

The Art was good, but it wasn't utterly stunning, despite it being a full-color manga, I prefer the monochromic style of art in Reborn! in contrast to the full color.

Overall, The plot doesn't make sense, the characters weren't diverse enough for me, and it was pretty much another cllche of a manga.