Dogs: Bullets & Carnage

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

Dogs: Bullets & Carnage is Japan's version to Frank Millers Sin City.

From riveting gunplay, the art of swords slashing, to the background stories of each lead character which intermingle with each other, Dogs: B&C is a manga which is eye candy to any fan who is into the action/seinen genre.

I had first come across this manga through watching Dogs: Stray Dogs Howling in the Dark(an OVA which I highly recommend you see if you'd like further background to each character in the Dogs Universe and also a prequel to this manga). The OVA got me curious to reading this manga, and I'm glad ... I did!

Character development is great as you get to see bits and piece of each of the main characters past like a spinster weaving a tale which amalgamates into a crew of rough necks at the end who aren't afraid to slash your throat or blow your knee caps should you piss them off(and these are the heroes we're talking about)

Based in an apocalyptic world where mutants, gangs, violence, murder and science experiments gone wrong collide, Dogs: B&C is a worthwhile read...just a warning in advance, definitely not for the faint-hearted who are queasy to blood and verbal violence..

"Living in a city filled with a diverse population, but only a select few know about its underground secrets, gun-blazing and blade action, deep backgrounds, and oh yeah battle crazy twin lolies."

One thing about this manga is the unique art style by Shirow Miwa and great action panels.

As I read along I got to know each of the main charectars history and figure why and how they came to be. So as a reader you can connect their relationships and their goals.

If you enjoy action, a bit of humor, and mystery. Read Dogs: Bullets & Carnage, also there is Dogs the one shot ... prequel.

Dogs: Bullets & Carnage

Do you have manga that you would call the best one you have read till now? I do.

Dogs :B&C created by Miwa Shirow is in my opinion something different than any other manga I have read until now. It is very climatic, dark, distinctive s-f series with its own unique style. It has absolutely extraordinary art. And I really mean it.

Story concentrates on 4 main characters: Haine, Naoto, Badou and Mihai. Every single one of them has inseparable connection with the place where the this history takes place- underground city where you can find various kinds of ... people and things. There is one sure thing about this place- it is dangerous. Mafia families, police and people with genes of animals –they are all interacting and creating an exceptional atmosphere with smell of blood, gunpowder and death in the air . But there is something more. Below the city is the rumored deepest level of the underground, where nothing good will happen to you.

The characters. Oh boy. Four individualities with their past connected with the secret underground. I don’t want to write too much about their back stories, because it is much more fun to find out this while reading. Their personalities are not stereotypical or trivial. Each one of them has own motivation to live and fight whenever it is necessary. Mihai- calm old man, who used to be professional killer, now he kills only when there is no other way to protect people around him. Badou- easy-going, but gets deadly dangerous without cigarettes, sometimes cooperates with Haine. Naoto- due to some terrifying events she lost memory of her childhood and was raised and trained by a sword master from underground. For me one of the most fascinating female character in manga generally. And finally Haine- white hair, truly superhuman combat abilities as a reminder from his traumatic childhood.
T
he plot is pretty complex and full of still unanswered questions. Gradually we know more and more about our characters, but there is still a lot to tell. It is really hard to tell where actually it is going and I think it is good. The unpredictability is undoubtedly a strength of this manga.
Art. I will be blunt. I have never seen better drawn manga. Characters are perfectly designed. Real fun starts, when it comes to fighting scenes. Dynamic yet clear and easy to follow. Fights in this manga are delightful. Many times I found myself just looking on some panels with my jaw on the desk. I have to mention that backgrounds are truly minimalistic. It could be considered as wasting of space, but for me it helps to concentrate solely on characters.

The basic reason for writing this review was attracting MAL users to give Dogs: Bullets & Carnage a try. If you look for something on high level, something different, giving great enjoyment you probably found it in this very moment. It is just my subjective opinion, but Dogs: B&C are definitely worth reading.

Knowing from which manga is the cover of Nightcore - My Demons fills one with joy.

Reading this manga, however, won't fill one with joy. Quite the opposite: it will most likely make you feel indifferent. Shame, as I don't regret reading it. There is a lot of good to remember it for; but memories are prone to idealisation, and the reality will remind you that it wasn't so spectacular when seen for what it really was. I view it as a product born from passion of an author who had many cool ideas but falls short in the execution.

Speaking of the author, Shirow Miwa is ... an absolute killer of an illustrator. The characters don't only look good, they are DRIPPED out of their minds. References related to music (Badou Nails and Heine Rammsteiner have surnames inspired from Rammstein and Nine Inch Nails) and the weaponry (Heine uses a Mauser C96 connected to his belt, alongside a Luger P08) are awesome. One may forget the story, but they won't forget the appearance of said characters. Honestly, I would recommend you go Google his art regardless of if you want to read Dogs or not. His work oozes with style you won't be able to get enough of.

Miwa, on the other hand, is not a good writer. This fictional universe somehow manages to feel unimportant. There is too much explaining and barely any showing. Fighting boils down to unstructured clashing until someone falls down. There is no power scaling or hierarchy. The pacing is all over the place. The reveals and twists feel bland... Eventually, you will start numbly flipping pages. For the vast majority it feels like the story is barely moving from how much useless dialogue is being held. And when it's not empty talk, the story loves to uncontrollably digress. It's sad, as when the story is actually being told, it knows to be interesting.

In an odd way, those flaws add to the main cast. They might ultimately be one-dimensional, but that lack of focus in the story flashes them out. Each of the four "dogs" has their own story (with some fairly memorable moments), their own character traits (a smoker so addicted to nicotine he needs gun smoke to substitute for the lack of cigars is so good), and their own goals. Their chemistry, although often weak, knows to be fun. Main complaint is that some are given more spotlight than others, and that becomes more evident as the plot progresses. Their aims and journeys feel too independent from one another. The side cast, however, is mainly weak and forgettable.

Most of Dogs' value is found in the action department, and the art style reflects that. It is focused, focused to the point of feeling minimalistic. It does not want to waste any time nor detail on anything but the action at hand. When it works it is incredible; it gives a noir feel to some parts. But, unfortunately, it often does not land. It can feel lazy and uninspired, especially when the story decides to drag its feet for hours on end.

So, are the fights and spectacle worth it?... Most of the time no. Same as the art: when it works it is amazing. Stylish in the true sense of the word. But most of the time it just becomes a monotonous exchange of blows without any suspense or risk. There is no risk at all. There is no sense of danger even when these hyped-up cataclysmic phenomena occur. The lack of danger waters down the conflict. And if it's not the lack of danger that waters it down, it's the dumb humour that kills the vibe.

A great majority of this work feels like a chore to read. There is just so much talking, cheap ways to end a conflict, no stakes on the table... And then the last act happens. The story is still weak, but it plays with your curiosity. The gloves are off. It's going all in. The last chapter happens and...

And you realize this manga has been on a hiatus since 2015.

To repeat: I don't regret reading this title. You can see the passion behind it. If it ever continues, I am certain to come back and finish it. I do have a light sense of nostalgia for this work... But it wasn't an enjoyable read. It is very much flawed. For most of my reading time I just wanted to reach the end. I advise you to look for something else to sate your hunger, as I don't think this one will do it. But, of course, this is only my experience. I can't stop you.

Thank you very much for reading up to this point. I wish you all the very best. Kind regards.

A seinen with a gripping story that's also different from others. What more could I ever ask for, right?

Spoilers ahead!
Dogs: Bullets & Carnage, a manga where the story seems so very simple. ...in actuality, when you get far enough, it can confuse you. That's how complex it can get and it's not loopholes or anything of that sort. It's the kind of story that confuses you and makes sense when things are revealed later. At first it's pretty linear, and then what's this? Plot twists? A lot of them? Secrets being revealed? Oh what are its readers to do. DBC follows Haine, a guy anyone ... with common sense wouldn't wanna cross paths with. Well, if you don't know him well enough that is. He hangs around a church of all places, and has a bad past. He wants to get to the mysterious, ominous, "underground" to finally put down the evil female scientist, Angelika, who created him. He also wants to find out more of his past, and is joined by Badou, a "mellow-like" chain smoker. Joining them are Mihai, an old man who knows his combat, and the beautiful "sword maiden" Naoto. These four are the main protagonists, and the manga follows their past and futures.
The story's great, yes. However, past halfway, it starts to slow down and drag around a bit, but immediately pick up later. Anyone who can really appreciate the different world and mood this manga has to offer wouldn't wanna miss out on it.

Ah, the art. The kind of famous yet underrated mangaka Miwa Shirow. He's done work for the notable band Supercell, after already working on Dogs. His style has evolved so much, that it's amazing to see his progress. In the beginning, Dogs seems to be on the semi-realistic side, with detailed backgrounds and shadow. Halfway through this series, everything gets smoother, there are less backgrounds (which is hard to explain aesthetically, but it's pleasing and actually gives pages flair), and the characters become more well-defined. The most recent chapters have shown even more progress. Now he has a set defining style, and there are no backgrounds. Why doesn't he draw them? Let's see, he's a mangaka drawing detailed clothing wrinkles, puts in a lot of inking, works for Supercell, AND has no assistants. All in all, its become a part of his amazing style, and I respect him for it a good deal.

The characters of DBC are great. They're colorful and complement each other. Haine is interesting in that he has a lot to him, and receives character growth. He changes throughout the manga, and improves. He's broken all over mentally and physically, with the added case of a fear of women. This is partially from Angelika who experimented on him, and accidentally killing a sister-like female friend, Lily. His terrible past makes him anti-social (honestly you can't really blame him), and added violent tendencies as he was experimented on. Heck, there's "someone else" inside of him. His fear puts him at odds with our main female protagonist Naoto, who is also on the quiet side. Beautiful, short-haired, and slender, she suffers from a bad case of amnesia. Haine, coming from the infamous underground, is followed for information. Naoto is strong physically, emotionally guarded, level-headed, and the fact that she doesn't give up hounding Haine displeased him greatly. Through time, they accept one another, are able to work together, and walk side by side.
Badou, the seemingly simple and lazy smoker. Long red hair, and an eyepatch. This guy just seems so harmless, huh? WRONG. No smokes? He's going to destroy everything on the whole block, no joke. Aside from that, a sort of nervous, and comic relief character. He's easygoing and pretty friendly, even if he can be kind of crude. An information broker with many sides to him. Does a bunch of odd jobs for cash and info. Haine's "friend."
Of course we can't forget Mihai. A quiet older man, who seems to have a tragic past, which he did indeed have, just humbly hanging around a certain cafe, drinking coffee. Right. He can fight with his fists, and can shoot well. A force to be reckoned with. Sort of wise, and a nice person. This guy is not what he seems, however. Yes, he's nice, but he can be deadly serious if he wanted to be.

Dogs: Bullets & Carnage is actually my favorite manga. How? The story's great, the art's great, and these are my favorite characters; Haine and Naoto, if you noticed that. All by an artist I respect. What else could I say? Of course I enjoy this manga.

This manga's score overall is a 9. A point docked down for the story's pacing, which is a very big deal when a manga loses your interest for a time, even if it's short. It's not quick in your face ground-breaking, but it's a slow ground-breaking. You just don't realize how good it really is until later.

Dogs: Bullets & Carnage is one of the best shoot em up bang bang manga that is out there. the art and drawings are epic and draw dropping if you are into human manipulation this is what you need to pick up and read the story line is so mouth watering juicy that it blinds in well with the action packed epic scenes.

This bad boy also has some slick gun play in it from swords to daggers whichever weapon you are fund if trust me you will see it used like no other.



There is also an anime OVA to the Manga which is ok I ... thought the OVA could have been a lot better for such an amazing manga series