All You Need Is Kill

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I’ll start by saying that this manga had been sitting on my bookshelf for a long time. I always thought it would be just another typical story. However, it actually exceeded my expectations—I was expecting something far less engaging.

Now, it might seem strange that I’m giving it a relatively low score while still praising and recommending it, so let me explain. Since this is a short manga, I’ll try to keep my review just as concise.

The main reason for my score is simply the length—only two volumes. Personally, I’m not a big fan of short stories, so for me, a 6/10 for a short manga ... is actually a very good rating. The concept was interesting, and even though some moments were quite predictable, I still found myself completely engaged and unable to stop reading.

The protagonist wasn’t particularly unique, and I’d say the same about Rita. Her backstory was fairly standard, yet somehow, she remained compelling. The dynamic between Rita and Keiji was well portrayed—warm and emotional—despite the limited time spent on their relationship. It still managed to leave an emotional impact on me. The ending also stood out; it was unexpected in some ways and carried real emotional weight.

I also want to highlight how easy it was to read—the pacing was smooth, and the art style was great. That said, I did find some of the fight scenes a bit hard to follow, as it wasn’t always clear what was happening.

In short, if you’re looking for a well-crafted story that you can finish in one night, this manga is a perfect choice.

Final rating: 6/10

Can a good story be told in only two volumes? My experience with manga made me skeptical about this question. However, I decided to give the short series a try, especially since it looked really nice!

Plot Summary:
Many years ago, humanity was attacked by some kind of alien "Mimics". Keiji, a new recruit in the Japanese army, is a green rookie. This is the first time his unit has to face the aliens, but the catch is that the human mortality rate on such missions is way too high. Fortunately, the rookies are not thrown to the wolves. The mission will take place in the rear, ... and the main work will go to the American unit, led by an experienced fighter, Sergeant Rita Vrataski.
The landing begins, and as it happens, the battle does not go as planned, as the Mimics attack from another direction. In a matter of seconds, Keiji and his entire squad are destroyed. A moment later, however, he wakes up in his bed in the barracks the day before the landing and realizes that this is not the first time he has died.
Plots based on time loops have long ceased to be something new, every year something with similar themes is released. However, "All You Need Is Kill" plays in this field more than worthy and will find something to surprise you.

The story is characterized by violence and uncompromising attitude towards the main character, due to which it is quite easy to empathize with him. Finding himself in a circle of deaths and rebirths, he realizes that no one is able to help him, and decides to act. The way he tries to understand and change something is quite interesting to watch.
The events are very fast-paced, but it doesn't feel stilted at all. No doubt my inner asshole would have wanted to know more about Mimics, the world outside the Mil Ops, and other details, but within the confines of a narrative similar in spirit to a short story, there is no need for additional information. The pacing is almost perfect.

Despite its brevity, the story does not lose its emotionality. The focus on the two protagonists, without atomizing the supporting characters, suits the format of the work perfectly, because it allows us to get enough insight into their personal drama. Undoubtedly, the characters themselves are rather clichéd, but I see it more as a technique. In this situation, clichés allow you to complete the picture in your mind without overloading the narrative with unnecessary elements. All of this may seem rather watery, but to say more is to risk spoiling something, and in a story that is mostly built on intrigue, that is simply inexcusable.
I'll just say that I really liked the ending and the revelation of the reasons for the time loop. I thought it was quite elegant and logical, even if some people might not like it.

The visuals perfectly reflect the mood of the story. Brutal battle suits, lots of blood and dismemberment in the fights, tough characters and a very green protagonist. The detail and dynamics of the battles are on the highest level. I can easily recognize the style of the illustrator of "Bakuman" and "Death Note". I'll say more, the main character reminded me a lot of Moritaka, and the idea that we're watching his alternate future is even a bit funny. Many people will probably be confused by the image of the warrior Rita. Well, what is a manga without fragile girls? And the story takes care to justify the physicality of the character by introducing exoskeletons that increase physical strength by a lot, so there's no problem with that.

The edition is great. Solid one-volume paperbacks in "Attack on Titans" format. The opening is excellent, each page can be enjoyed in all its glory. I would love to see more manga in this format.
Many may wonder why the book was not published as an omnibus all at once. Sounds fair, but in the context of the story, all 4 covers are important and seem quite symbolic after reading.
The result is a great mix of action and drama, spiced with science fiction. It reads in one breath. What more could you ask for in a story?

Lets make this short and quick!

It starts off good the first few chapters, the premise and art really grabs you to keep on reading but then it just.... speeds up. None of the characters, including the two main characters, are developed enough for you to care about, there's no world building for you to understand anything whatsoever, and it just ends before you know it. I understand it's only 17 chapters but realistically it should've been around 30-40 chapters, even the Movie (Which is not based on the manga but based on the NOVEL!!! The manga is based on the novel also.) ... tells a better story with a complicated premise in under 2 hours.... So why should you read it? Don't, read the novel or watch the movie even tho it's a lot different from both tellings but the premise stays the same.

Well... one reason is because the art is definitely really good in some pages, if you're an inspiring artist it's a good chance to pick up some references but other than that watch/read the latter.
5/10